Heartbreak
by CrazyCaz
Summary: AU Season 3. She broke his heart when she chose to run with their daughter. He made her pay the price. She's back and finds out the worst thing known to a mother - her daughter calls someone else 'mother'. Her heart breaks. Will these two broken hearts heal each others? Feelings resurfaces and emotions explodes.
1. Chapter 1

All mistakes and errors are mine. Thanks so much to AryaTindomiel for editing my work! I'm happy to say that she is now my official beta.

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Chapter One

Hayley looked up at the full moon, thinking about the past six months. Six months of torture with the curse. Six months of missing out on her daughter growing up. Six months of violent anger towards the person she blamed for all this.

"Hayley… the curse it's broken," Elijah said to her as she took the clothes he brought for her and quickly put them on. She looked at Elijah and felt nothing romantically towards him anymore. If six months away from the Mikaelsons meant anything, it meant re-evaluating her life.

"Thank you Elijah. It means a lot to me that you worked so hard to break it. How is Katherine?" The past six full moons allowed Elijah and Hayley to sort out their relationship once and for all and they found they were both happier with the way they settled it.

 _"Have you found a way to break the curse?"_

 _"Unfortunately not yet, but I assure you, Davina and Freya are working tirelessly for a possible cure. In other news, coincidentally, Davina stumbled onto a spell to bring back Kol; with Freya and my help we succeeded in resurrecting my brother. Kol and Davina seem to be quite happy."_

 _"That's wonderful for them. She really did seem quite smitten with Kol," Hayley smiled sadly. Hayley wanted something like what Davina and Kol seemed to have – love and care, at least the willingness to do or sacrifice anything for love. She couldn't have that with Jackson. She couldn't have that Elijah._

 _"Hayley, I need to discuss our relationship with you further. You have a child with Niklaus and, despite what has happened or will happen, I know that you will always be connected through Hope..."_

 _Hayley took advantage of his pause, "Elijah if this curse has done any good for me, it's that it allowed me to think about my life and sort out who I am and what I want... I'm sorry, but I just don't feel anything romantic for you anymore. I am so thankful that you have looked after me and cared for me all this time, but I can see that we aren't meant for each other. No matter what though, you're a good man Elijah and you deserve all the happiness in the world. I think a certain brunette vampire doppelganger you've been secretly communicating with could be the answer to that."_

 _Elijah looked at Hayley and smiled gracefully. "Thank you Hayley. I have come to realise that the relationship between us should have always been merely a family relationship and that is what is shall be now. I will take your advice and rekindle my relationship with Katerina and I believe that you will get your chance of happiness and love. Unless you have already, Jackson-?"_

 _"No, he isn't someone I love. I mean I care about him, but we got married for the pack. I tried to have some happiness from it, but his love for me, it's not enough. So, I've decided that once this curse is broken I'm going to end this marriage and be the sole alpha of the werewolves myself." Hayley scanned the trees to make sure no one else was around. "They were meant to be my family, but since meeting them there has only been disharmony and betrayal. Until I married Jackson, they rarely showed me the care that your family did and I am so grateful for you all."_

 _"I am pleased to hear to you say that, but are you sure you want to do this?"_

 _She nodded firmly, "Yes, I need your help to get Davina or Freya to find a way to break the unification bond."_

 _"I will see to it. Until the next full moon…"_

"Come, Hayley. There are others waiting to see you." They walked into the cabin and Hayley saw Kol, back in his original vampire body, with Davina, Katherine, and Rebekah. She felt sadness wash over her when she noticed Klaus wasn't around however brushed it off as she remembered what he had done to her.

"Hayley!" The girls walked over and gave her a big hug along with Kol. Hayley felt tears welling up as she couldn't help but feel loved by these people that she called her family and who considers her the same.

"We need to break the bond tonight. Your people are all starting anew and its time for you to start your life again," Davina said seriously. Hayley nodded and walked out and called Jackson to the cabin.

"Hayley, please tell me you have changed your mind about breaking our marriage bond." His eyes were pleading and his heart was breaking.

She stood resolved of her impending actions. "No, I'm sorry Jack. Our marriage was based on protection for my daughter and power for the Crescents. I know you love me, but I don't love you back. I need to think about Hope and myself. Haven't I already sacrificed enough for the pack?"

"That's what being queen is about! Sacrificing herself for her people!" He yelled as he grabbed her arms and shook her. Kol vamped Jackson to the wall holding his neck.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," He smirked.

"Kol, let him go. I'm fine." Hayley ordered. Kol nodded and dropped Jackson down.

"Look at what my sacrifice has done to us? I lost six months of my daughter's life! We are breaking this bond now. You all owe me after our people betrayed me for the Guerra wolves. You all put Hope's life in danger and I will never forget that." Hayley spat angrily. Jackson sighed and backed down in defeat.

Davina started chanting in Latin as both Jackson and Hayley felt their bond dissolve and, for Jackson's part, his enhanced abilities became as they were before he married Hayley. They could hear the people outside the cabin shouting angrily outside as they felt the changes from the marriage reverse.

"It is done!" Davina said. Hayley smiled at her and told them to follow her outside as she and Jackson were going to address their pack.

"What's going on!?"

"What happened?!"

"The unification bond is broken! Jackson and I are no longer married but we will remain united if we are going to survive," Hayley shouted.

"How dare you do this!?"

"Eve would have been furious!"

"Jackson! Do something!"

"Enough! I've given up enough for you all and if you recall your betrayal with the Guerra wolves I don't think you have the right to blame me for my actions. I have missed the last six months of my daughter growing up–"Hayley started feeling tears sliding down her cheek. "Family doesn't betray you! Family doesn't lie to you! You may all be my family by blood but you sure as hell do not treat me like we're family. Nonetheless, I am still your queen and alpha, Jackson will be the alpha interim whenever necessary and you will do what we order for you to do." She went back into the cabin slamming the door and fell on her bed sobbing as a multitude of emotions attacked her.

Katherine and Rebekah sat on the sides of the bed, comforting Hayley.

"You should be proud of yourself. You did the right thing by you," Rebekah said softly.

"Then why do I feel so guilty?" She muffled through her pillow.

"Sometimes, doing the right thing for yourself makes you feel that way." Rebekah looked at Katherine and mouthed, 'What do we tell her about Hope?'

"Where's Hope? I want to see her." Hayley asked without turning over to face her good friends. After Hayley and Elijah spoke on the fourth full moon, he immediately contacted Katherine and asked her to come to New Orleans. She was wary to be in such close vicinity of Klaus, but she loved Elijah and so she took a chance and surprising the Original Hybrid barely blinked at her (his tolerance of her was most likely part of his vie for forgiveness from Elijah). It was on the fifth full moon that Katherine, Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah went to see Hayley in her human body.

"She's being looked after by Nik and Cam- ow!" Rebekah quickly pinched Katherine to stop her from telling Hayley anything more. The hybrid quickly sat up and looked at them with anger.

"Klaus and Cami is it? That blonde bimbo has been looking after my daughter hasn't she!?" Hayley stood up and started pacing about the room. The two girls looked at the brunette and picked up her muttering words, 'my daughter', 'mother', 'Klaus's whore'. Kol, Elijah, and Davina walked into the cabin and looked at Hayley confused.

"What's going on?" Davina broke the tense atmosphere.

"Katherine here blabbed about Hope being looked after by Cami. You might as well tell her that Cami is also living with us now." Rebekah grumbled. Davina gasped and quickly ran over to Hayley who began sobbing again. Hayley went to sit on the edge of the bed with her face in her hands.

"Please tell me she doesn't call her mama." Hayley looked up at them with her lips trembling. They looked at each other and the silence was enough for Hayley to know.

"She only just learnt to speak. Freya told me that Cami picked her up and she said her first word, it turned out to be mama," Elijah whispered. Hayley could feel her anger boiling. She stood up and began throwing things across the room, breaking furniture. She walked over to the corner and picked up her most prized procession – her violin that she has had since childhood and threw it against the wall smashing it into pieces. The girls gasped in shock knowing how much she loved her violin and how talented she was with it. Davina quickly ran over and wrapped her arms around Hayley waist to calm her down. Her breaths were slowing down and her shoulders dropped almost in defeat.

Kol and Elijah at the moment were extremely worried for Hayley. Elijah walked over to the smashed violin and picked it up.

"Hayley, why do you have a violin?" Elijah walked towards Hayley and put it in front of her. She took the pieces and slowly walked towards the end of the bed and sat down on the floor.

"My adopted parents gave me that for my fifth birthday. I started taking lessons and my teacher told me I was gifted. When they kicked me out, all I had was my violin and my clothes. When I was desperate for money, I always wanted to sell it, but I couldn't. It was all I had from my childhood. Whenever I was alone or before bed, I would play till I got tired or sleepy. When I came here, I had left it at a pawn shop. The owner was nice enough to keep it and not sell it to anyone. He promised me that I could buy it back. I bought it once I had moved out to the bayou while I was still pregnant with Hope. I never had the chance to play it again as I was too busy trying to protect her. This was meant to be for her first birthday. Something that her mother was meant to pass down to her and now it's destroyed." Hayley wept softly.

Freya looked out the window as the full moon disappeared. It was the end of the curse. She walked away from the window and settled down at the couch. She could hear laughing from the nursery upstairs and Hope shouting out "mama". Her heart squeezed for Hayley. Her daughter did not remember her own mother and Klaus didn't care. She knew that Klaus cares for Hayley, even had some feelings for her, but he was so blinded by her mistrust and loyalty, he cruelly cursed her.

She heard voices coming from the front door into the lounge room. She sat up and saw everyone's sad expression. "Is she alright?"

"She's okay but–"

"What happened?" Freya interrupted Elijah. Everyone sat down on the lounges and drank from the opened bottle of wine.

"Davina broke the marriage bond, but the pack wasn't happy. She addressed them all reminding them of their betrayal and that she would not back down from the responsibility of leading them."

"She told them she's sacrificed enough for them, that it was time to do something for herself and that was to end an unhappy and one-sided marriage," Katherine sighed. Freya looked at Davina who was focusing carefully on the broken pieces in her hands.

"What's that Davina?" She looked up with an extremely sad expression.

"This was Hayley's violin. She was meant to give it to Hope when she turns one. She destroyed it when–" Davina stopped as she couldn't speak anymore of Hayley's heartbreak. Kol wrapped his arm around her shoulder and soothed her.

"When she found out that she calls Cami 'mama'. Freya, you should've seen her face. It was horrible to see her heart break." Rebekah said softly. Freya nodded sadly.

"It's her birthday tomorrow, isn't it?" Kol asked. Everyone looked at him with curious eyes. "What better way for Hayley to see Hope than on her birthday?"

"I agree. Maybe she will feel better once she sees her daughter. Hope is still young. She can still learn that Hayley is her true mother. Rebekah and Katerina, can you please organise dinner? I will call her now and invite her over. Whatever you do, don't mention it to Niklaus." Elijah got up and left the room, as soon as he left the room, Klaus walked in with a grin on his face.

"Ah! The whole family is here, where is Elijah?"

"He's making a phone call," Kol said. He was slightly irritated at Klaus for not teaching Hope that Hayley is her mother. As soon as Elijah had finished his call, Cami walked down the stairs with Hope in her arms. Everyone but Klaus looked at Hope with sad eyes feeling sympathetic for Hayley.

"Dada!" Hope shouted gleefully at the sight of her father. Elijah went to sit down next to Katherine and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Niklaus, please keep tonight free. We have a guest coming over for dinner." He informed shortly.

"Don't tell me another family has come back at the hands of Davina," He scoffed.

"No… just be on your best behaviour tonight."

"I'm always on my best behaviour. Now, Rebekah I will need your party planning expertise for my daughter's first birthday party. We are to have a ball. Send out the invitations and get Katerina to help you with the food and decorations. Davina, help out with the music." Davina grunted as she stood up picking up the broken violin and walked upstairs to her room. In her mind, she knew dinner wasn't going to end well.

Hayley stood in front of the mirror standing in a red blouse, a pair of black skinny jeans, and her favourite leather jacket, the look finished off with a pair of sky high black heels. She thought if she were to be the guest of honour at dinner tonight she might as well do it in style.

"Look at you!" She turned around to see Rebekah leaning against the doorframe grinning. "You look sexy. Making a big entrance, are we?"

"Yes Rebekah…" Hayley said mockingly. "I thought what better way to tell Klaus that the curse is broken than having a big entrance," She winked. Hayley was feeling slightly more nervous than she realised. She wanted nothing more than to see her daughter however she knew Klaus wouldn't make it very easy.

"Well then, shall we go? Katherine is going to kill me if her food goes cold."

"She's cooking?" Hayley giggled.

"Oh yeah, however you still cook better than her." They both laughed and got in the Range Rover and drove to the Compound.

Davina was downstairs at the kitchen countertop with Freya trying to fix Hayley's violin as a present, whilst everyone but Klaus and Hope were getting ready for dinner.

"Cami don't you feel weird that Hope calls you her mother? I mean Hayley is still out there and is her actual mother." Katherine asked casually. Elijah shot her a warning look whilst Kol looked on with interest.

"I know Hayley is still out there and I have tried to tell Hope to call me anything but mama but she wouldn't. Klaus heard her once and said that it was fine and that she needs a motherly figure around." Cami smiled softly at the memory of the two of them in nursery playing with Hope.

"She has other women in her life though – Freya, Rebekah, Davina, and me. I've had a child before and I know how to look after kids." Katherine pushed.

"I know but–"

"WE DID IT!" Davina shouted. Everyone turned their heads to Davina and Freya who had big smiles on their face holding up the repaired violin. "Good as new. Hayley will be so happy." Davina bounced out of the kitchen and went to put it back in its case and left it with the other gifts.

Klaus came downstairs and walked into the kitchen. "What time is our guest coming? Don't tell me they cancelled?" He said mockingly as he sat down at the head of the table.

"I hear the car!" Katherine sang as she walked into the dining room holding a bottle of wine. They all sat down waiting for Rebekah and Hayley who remained unknown to Cami and Klaus's knowledge.

"Ahh! Look who it is – the Queen of Werewolves. It seems Elijah has finally broken your curse. How does it feel to be human again?" He prodded.

Hayley shot him a dark looked and grumbled, "It feels great Klaus no thanks to you."

"Happy Birthday Hayley. Come and sit. Dinner is served." Katherine grabbed Hayley's hand and pulled her towards her seat. Everyone quickly served themselves and ate while making small talk. Hayley at all cost avoided talking to Cami as she was still hurting with the knowledge of Hope not knowing her as her own mother.

When they all finished, Freya turned to Hayley, "Come… there's someone who you should see." She stood up with Hayley and took her into the lounge room. Klaus was about to interrupt but Cami put her hand on Klaus's to stop him. Katherine looked at the two and shook her head.

Hayley looked down in the cot to see Hope staring at her overhead mobile smiling. "She is still ever so beautiful." Tears started welling up in Hayley. She couldn't resist anymore and had to pick her up. She gently rubbed Hope's neck and let her lean her head on her shoulders. She smiled and walked to the lounge and sat down. Everyone gathered around. Klaus and Cami remained standing behind the lounge that Freya, Kol, Davina, and Rebekah was sitting on.

"I can't believe I missed out on so much," Hayley said trembling. She pulled Hope away from her shoulders and held her upright. "You have grown so much. I can't believe I missed it all."

"If only you had trusted me you wouldn't have missed out on so much." Klaus muttered under his breath, unfortunately everyone heard him anyway.

"Niklaus!"

"Klaus!"

"Brother!"

"Are you blaming me for not being in my daughter's life?" Hayley asked in disbelief.

"Yes! I am blaming you. If you hadn't gone and married Jackson and run away to your pack, this wouldn't have happened. You completely mistrusted me with the protection of our daughter!" He seethed. Klaus's anger was fuelling and pushed away whatever guilt he had felt for Hayley.

"WHAT ABOUT YOU?! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE LIED TO ME." Hayley gave Hope to Katherine and stood up. "YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT TRUST? YOU REFUSED TO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PLANS FOR DAHLIAH. YOU REFUSED TO LET ME IN AND LET ME HELP."

"I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT YOU AND HOPE. IF YOU GOT INVOVLED, IT WOULD'VE PUT YOUR LIVES IN DANGER."

"DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT I AM STRONGER THAN YOU THINK? THAT I COULD ACTUALLY HELP? THANKS TO YOU I HAVE MISSED MORE ON MY DAUGHTER GROWING UP!" Hayley's tears began flowing as she had lost control of all her emotions. "I MISSED HER FIRST CRAWL! I MISSED HER FIRST WORD!" She spat the last sentence glaring at Cami as she knew that mama would've been her first word only not to her.

"I can't control her words or her actions. I–"

"No, you don't, but you do control who looks after my child. YOU LET THAT BLONDE WOMAN," pointing angrily at Cami, "TAKE OVER MY ROLE AS HOPE'S MOTHER!"

Suddenly the tension was broken by Hope's crying and shouting, "Mama." Hope's arm shot out towards Cami and started wiggling in Katherine's grip. Hayley let out a choked sob and slapped her hand over her mouth. Her heart shattered as she had her daughter speak for the first time and the pain over her heart that her daughter did not recognise her. Katherine stood up and passed Hope over to Cami before sitting down with Elijah's arm around her and gave Hayley's hand a soft squeeze in comfort. Cami's emotions were filled with guilt and sadness for what she had done to Hayley. Klaus turned away to avoid Hayley's piercing gaze and the tears that were running down her face. She quickly brushed her them away and took a deep breath.

"What you did to me was the cruellest thing you could have ever done. I've forgiven you for your past actions and all I asked was for the truth. You lied to me again and cursed me and took me away from my daughter. You've already done a great job replacing Cami as Hope's mother. I came here tonight hoping to make some amends but screw you to hell Klaus." Hayley stormed towards the door before being stopped by Davina's voice.

She didn't turn around but Davina walked in front of her holding her violin case. "This was a birthday present for you. We know how much this means to you so Freya and I repaired it. It's as good as new." Hayley took the violin and gave Davina an appreciative smile and kiss to the top of her head whispering a thank you before leaving the Compound.

The house was quiet and Klaus was fuming.

"Well done Nik. I hope you're happy." Rebekah said sarcastically.

"Sod it Rebekah."

"We were going to ask her to come back and live with us here so she could make up for lost time with Hope… but thanks to you she doesn't have a chance with Cami living here." Freya said quietly.

Klaus looked at her sister in shock. "Why was I not consulted with this? I am the main owner of the house."

"You wouldn't have agreed. You're so blinded by your anger and hurt to see the reasons behind Hayley's actions. She did what she thought was right by her own daughter – something you would do too." Katherine snapped. Elijah looked at his partner with a proud grin.

"I would never have taken her away from her own mother!" Klaus defended.

"WELL YOU DID!" Kol shouted. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes – he was never really the one to shout or get involved in situations such as these. He was always making jokes and breaking the tension. "YOU THINK SHE BROKE YOUR HEART BY BREAKING YOUR TRUST? WELL CONGRATULATIONS BROTHER! YOU BROKE A MOTHER'S HEART. AS SOON AS SHE FOUND OUT HOPE RECOGNISED CAMI AS HER MOTHER YOU BROKE HER HEART. THINK ABOUT HOW YOU'LL BREAK HOPE'S HEART WHEN SHE FINDS OUT THAT HER REAL MOTHER IS AROUND AND THAT YOU WERE THE REASON FOR SEPARATING THEM." Kol finished before storming up to his room and the slam of his door echoed through the house.

"Holy hell, wasn't that a breath of fresh air?" Katherine added. Rebekah shot her a warning look.

"Kol is right. Hayley understands her mistakes and has owned up to them. She had no intentions of hurting you by betraying you," Elijah added.

"Why is it my fault? I was not the one who decided to take Hope away…. she tried to do that."

"But you made the decision not to teach Hope about Hayley. You could've shown her photos and reminded her that Hayley was her mother. Whenever Josh and I were looking after Hope we would always try and find a photo of Hayley in her room, but we could never find any," Davina whispered. She had an overwhelming feeling of sadness. Hayley was like a big sister that she never had and it was sad to see her in such a state of weakness and heartache.

"After the last full moon, she told me she hoped to start anew with you and Hope. Have that family she had longed for. Try and have something with you. You broke her heart and you'll be breaking Hope's too. You're already breaking your own heart as well, Brother."

Everyone got up and left the room.

"You can't break an already broken heart," Klaus mumbled.

It had been an emotional evening leaving the family with pain and heartache whilst some were nursing an utterly shattered heart.

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 _This is an edited Chapter One! Clearly this is an AU of Season 3 of The Originals. I haven't watched it until the last 3 recent episodes due to the very lack of Klayley. I am a strong Klayley shipper. Klamille honestly sounds like Chlamydia and Halijah are just TOO different to be together honestly :)_

 _Anyways, I hope you like this AU Klayley fic :) Please R &R! I love reading reviews and please try to not to attack me when you're reviewing if something is not right. _

_xoxo CrazyCaz_


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to my beautiful beta AryaTindomiel for editing this :)

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Chapter Two

The residents of the Compound were in a sombre mood for the next few weeks – their hearts heavy for Hayley and Klaus who were both nursing agonizing hearts and souls. Klaus isolated himself away from everyone except for his daughter while Hayley remained in the bayou, occasionally being visited by Klaus' siblings, Katherine, and Davina who always brought Hope with them.

Today, Kol and Davina took the baby to see her mother and while there they requested for her to provide some musical entertainment for Hope's birthday celebration that night, which of course Hayley agreed to since the celebration was in honor of her child. Kol also mentioned that they were all eager to hear Hayley's talent with her violin.

Meanwhile, Freya sat on her bed with Rebekah and Katherine finalising the other details for Hope's first birthday, but of course, this brought her mind to Hayley and their family's current woes. The eldest Mikaelson sister had always liked Hayley and considered her to be the key to rebuilding their family, as she brought Hope into their lives. "We need to do something. Klaus and Hayley are only hurting themselves with their anger towards each other. Hayley is our family and she needs to be here," she voiced firmly. Rebekah and Katherine nodded, strongly in agreement with her. The three of them were going to repair this family, whether Klaus liked it or not (but of course they knew he wanted this as much as they all did, even if he didn't say or act like he did).

"First, we need to talk to Cami. I know she means no harm, but she is pushing into Hope's life and taking the mother role from Hayley," Katherine said disapprovingly. "And I might sound insane but is it just me or do you think Hayley and Klaus are blinded by their anger and stubbornness that they actually have feelings for each other?" Katherine asked thoughtfully.

Freya stood up and walked towards the window looking outside at the views of New Orleans. "Klaus's eyes never failed to show his anger towards Hayley for her words and actions," she wrapped her arms around her stomach, "I've always the seen anger, but there was also hints of guilt, remorse, and sadness too." She turned around and faced the girls, "No, Katherine, you're not insane and it's not just you. They are both too stubborn to move forward and will fight their feelings and each other till the end. However, we will put a stop to it and bring them and this family back together."

Katherine along with the Mikaelson sisters were overseeing the people decorating their home with flowers and lights as the musicians were setting up their instruments in a corner of the courtyard. The caterers were setting up food stations and the bar. Rebekah and Katherine then went off to try the food, leaving Freya standing on the balcony observing the chaos. She shook her head – it was too much for a one-year old's birthday, she should be having a small party with just her loving family.

"What's wrong sister? Are the decorations not to your liking?" She turned her head to see Klaus walking towards her with his usual, sinister grin, "Or maybe it's the food?"

"Oh Klaus, must you be so sarcastic on a day like this?" She decided that she had to confront him about Cami first before talking to the other woman herself, so she started by questioning Hope's whereabouts, already knowing that after returning from visiting her mother Hope would be in her nursery and most likely with a certain blonde nanny. Freya was proven correct when her brother answered with her very thoughts.

Abruptly, the elder sister then asked, "And what are your intentions with Camille? She's been living here since Hayley was cursed and she has been and is still taking on the maternal role of looking after Hope." Freya's voice was starting to rise as she thought about Hayley's heartbreak. "Do you not understand what Cami's presence is going to do to the both of them? Hope is going to grow up thinking her mother is either dead or doesn't care for her or, worse of all, her mother doesn't love her!" Freya finished her rant breathing heavily.

Klaus remained silent looking at Freya contemplating on how to respond without angering her further. "Of course I don't want that," he whispered quietly almost in defeat.

Freya was about to say something, but Cami interrupted them by coming out of the nursery following Hope crawling towards them. The proud aunt smiled and bent down holding her arms out to the birthday girl. She giggled and began crawling faster right into Freya's arms. "Happy birthday sweetie, may your future be filled with happiness and love," she whispered in her ear and kissed the top of head.

"Give me our niece!" Rebekah shouted as she ran up the stairs towards them. Freya handed Hope over to her sister who peppered her with kisses.

"Brother, you need to sort this out, you need to do something about all of this - starting with Cami." She then grabbed onto Rebekah's arm and practically dragged her along with the baby in her arms downstairs. Freya hoped her advice was the beginning of forgiveness and moving forward.

Klaus sighed as he walked into his library and poured himself a glass of scotch before settling down on the couch.

"Klaus, what was Freya talking about?" Cami asked as she stood at the other end of the couch.

"We need to talk, love." Cami nodded cautiously and sat down next to Klaus with her arms folded under her chest. "I think it would be best if you moved back to your apartment. You can go back to working at the Rousseau's fulltime," he said straightforwardly.

Cami looked at him in shock and surprise – she wasn't expecting to hear those words after he had openly invited her into his home. "What are you talking about? I gave up my life to help you and your daughter and now you're kicking me out? Is this about what Freya said? Or was it Elijah and Rebekah? Or maybe it was because of Hayley's return?" Klaus stiffened at hearing Hayley's name and the sound of accusations thrown by the woman sitting next to him.

"Don't throw accusations around. After some words with my family, I realised that I need to do what's right by Hope. I cannot let her forget Hayley, and it seems she already has." He stood up and drank his scotch in one go walking towards the window and leaned against the frame. "I've spent my whole life filled with anger and bitterness, trying to avenge the death of my family and hunting down those who have harmed them. I've tried to love those who could not love me for who I am and yet Hayley.. Hayley may have not loved me but she did care for me and gave me the most precious gift." He turned around to see Cami standing up with anger and sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry Camille, I still want you to be my therapist, however, I think it would be best by Hope for you to keep your distance from now on." He finished apologetically.

"Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance. I got to go to pack my things." Klaus was about to open his mouth to apologise but Cami put her hand up to stop him, "It's obvious to me that Hayley's return has changed your mind about having me around and I know your siblings don't approve of it either. Don't worry, I won't be in the way anymore. It's a shame that I loved someone who actually loves someone else despite how you've treated her, but then again, those you love you drive away. " She rushed out leaving the hybrid gobsmacked at her final words.

Did he love Hayley or did he just care for her? He couldn't trust her though after trying to run away with his daughter. He scoffed at the thought of having feelings for Hayley and walked over to his art room and began taking out his frustrations and confusions through painting.

* * *

"Hayley, are you ready yet?" Davina called out from the other side of the door. She stood in front of the mirror and noticed that her eyes no longer looked blood-shot and tired after a long night of crying and barely any sleep. The hybrid took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.

"How do I look?" Hayley was wearing a black and white sleeveless top with a wide neckline exposing her neck and the top of her shoulders along with a black laced-mesh skirt, and a pair of black Louboutin pumps that she borrowed from Rebekah. Her hair was curled into beach waves and wore natural make-up.

The witch turned around, her cute pale pink lace dress swishing, and squealed, "You look beautiful! But some jewellery to glam up the look can never hurt," Davina handed the older brunette a pair of white-gold hoop earrings shaped as Olive-Leaf and a white cuff bracelet she picked out of Hayley's jewellery box. These were gifts from the girls for her own birthday a few weeks ago that they brought to her during one of their visits.

"Ladies, are you ready to go?" Kol asked stepping into the room dressed in a soft gray buttoned-up shirt and black slacks. Davina nodded and gave Kol a peck on the lips.

Upon arriving at the Compound, Hayley became extremely nervous. She was anxious about seeing Klaus and playing her violin again. She hadn't performed in front of people since she was kicked out by her adopted parents and honestly it had been a long time since she played the instrument, save for the bits of practice she'd had whenever she got visits from the Mikaelsons since she was last here. She stood at the doors with her palms sweating, the violin case nearly slipping from her grip.

"It's alright. Cami isn't here so you can spend as much time as you want with Hope and Klaus has promised not to cause any problems. You can do this." Davina held her free hand and squeezed it gently. Hayley nodded and walked in with her head held high.

She saw some old faces and made some conversation with them until Kol tapped her shoulder and told her it was her time to play. The hybrid walked over to the band and smiled, signaling for them to continue. After placing her violin case on a table and quietly tuning the instrument she joined in with the band. Gradually, the band members stopped playing so that the string instrument and its violinist were center stage.

Elijah and Katherine heard the sound of the soft fiddle as they took a glass of champagne from the waiter's tray and walked over towards the band watching Hayley play. Freya followed her brother with Rebekah, smiling happily. Hayley was completely in her element and ignored her surroundings playing her most valuable possession as the entire room watched and listened.

Klaus picked up Hope after changing her diaper and made his way down the stairs. The atmosphere was quiet and he was unsure about what had happened with the party. He walked down to see everyone focusing their eyes on Hayley who, to his surprise, was playing the violin. His ears were filled with the sound of perfection from soft strings being played. He took a spot beside Freya, with the birthday girl in his arms turned toward her mother.

Hayley saw Klaus holding Hope and smiled at the sight of their daughter. She finished her piece and bowed politely to her clapping audience.

Klaus was actually smiling and pointed to the other hybrid as he looked down at Hope whispering, "That's Mummy." Hayley's heart started to flutter as she heard him and Hope started clapping along with the rest of the crowd.

"Time for cake!" Klaus announced. One of the caterers brought out the cake that had a single lit candle. All the guests moved toward the cake.

Klaus put his hand out to Hayley after she placed her violin back into its case. She looked down at the hand before looking up at his face – there was no sign of resentment, anger, or stoicism. There was actually a genuine smile on the man's face. Hayley pushed her negative thoughts out of her head and placed her hand in Klaus's, feeling tingles and warmth at the physical contact.

Hayley sang "Happy Birthday" to Hope with everyone trying to ignore her baby daddy's hand gently resting on her lower back. After Hope blew out the candle, Klaus handed the baby over to Hayley who stared at her mum while sucking her thumb.

Music resumed playing as the guests helped themselves to the cake. After sharing a slice of the vanilla dessert, Hayley started dancing with Hope, swaying her from side to side and muttering sweet and loving words to her. After the third song, the little girl fell asleep wrapping her arms over her mum's neck with her head resting comfortably on Hayley's shoulder. The young mother smiled knowing that her daughter was finally comfortable with being in her arms again.

"Here, I will take her and put her to bed. You go have some food." Freya offered smiling warmly. Things were looking up and it seemed that Klaus was beginning to take actions towards repairing his relationship with Hayley. Hayley gently passed Hope over to Freya and walked over to the food table snagging some fruit. She picked up a large strawberry and gently bit into it causing its juice to run down her chin.

"Watching you eat that strawberry, is extremely seductive." Her ears perked at hearing that British accent that haunts her mind. She turned around seeing Klaus smirking holding out a napkin. Hayley flushed red in embarrassment and quickly snatched the napkin out of his hand and wiped her mouth and chin.

"Would you care for a dance, Little Wolf?" Hayley's heart squeezed at hearing that endearment. She was confused about her feelings for Klaus – she was both furious and hurt at Klaus but she also still cared for him. She hesitantly nodded and placed her hand in his letting him led her onto the dance floor.

They swayed to the song without a word until Hayley broke the silence asking, "Where's Cami?"

The older hybrid smirked, "Why? Jealous?" He taunted. The brunette tensed, again letting Klaus's words get to her. "Relax, love. She moved back to her apartment this morning."

"Oh." They continued to slow dance with their eyes locking together intently as another song began.

"Hayley, I want to speak to you alone," Klaus said quietly as the second song slowly finished, "I promise I don't want to fight. I just want to talk to you about Hope. About us."

Hayley breathed out slowly, "Okay, let me check on Hope then we can go talk," she said quietly and squeezed his hand gently before walking upstairs. The mother looked over her daughter sleeping peacefully in her crib holding her wolf toy in her hand. She bent down and kissed her baby's forehead before walking out, shutting the door behind her, and going out onto the balcony where Klaus was standing.

"Come Little Wolf." He reached out to her hand and led her to his quarters. He had never let Cami into his room and it was very rare for any woman to enter it as well.

They stood in the middle of his room simply looking at each other.

"Klaus-"

"Hayley–"

They both started together and then stopped. They both had some words to say to each other and it was important that they cleared the air before they could move on, for them and for Hope.


	3. Chapter 3

Edited by my one and only beta - AryaTindolmiel

* * *

Chapter Three

"Hayley–"

"Klaus–"

They said simultaneously. Klaus gestured at Hayley to speak, but she shook her head indicating that he could say his piece first.

"No, love. Please, after you. Tell me how you feel, tell me how upset you are. I won't be offended or angry." He sat down on the couch in front of Hayley who looked slightly confused at what Klaus was telling her to do. He in turn smirked at her perplexed expression.

She began pacing back and forth, gathering all her feelings and thoughts that had built up over the past six months.

"You took me away from my daughter – someone that I carried for almost nine months, who I sent away and missed out the first four months of her life in order to protect her. I got her back for a couple months then YOU cursed me and took her away from ME. MY DAUGHTER!" She shouted angrily. Klaus could feel his own fury fuelling up and was about to open his mouth to reply but Hayley pointed at him with a furious red face.

"I'm not done," she said sharply, "From the very beginning you have treated me as an invalid! You said you trusted me but you didn't tell me anything which lead me to believe that you never did at all. All your wrath and hatred which should have been directed to your enemies was directed towards me, even when I was trying to work with you. I've had enough of your insecurities and your immediate reactions of vengeance and violence. My parents abandoned me, my adopted parents kicked me out, your parents hate you and want to you dead and you know what part of hates you too, but I can't fight with you anymore. I'm tired. All I've ever wanted was for Hope to have what we never had and now I just want to be with her and I want our daughter to have two loving parents who can cooperate and trust each other and are willing to work together to protect her no matter what." She finished breathing heavily. Klaus remained silent letting Hayley's words sink in. "Your turn," she said quietly sitting on the couch opposite. His rage subdued and he began to speak.

"You tried to take her away from me, running away with that piss-weak husband of yours. YOU betrayed and broke my trust to follow a man who is not Hope's father after I specifically told you to trust me and let me protect her from Dahlia!" He responded in indignation and frustration. Klaus was going to continue but Hayley immediately interrupted.

"I WAS SCARED!" She screamed with tears blurring her vision as she remembered that night. "You! You told me that you trusted me, more than I knew but you BROKE my neck and went after Jackson instead of continuing a civilised conversation with me about your concerns. How did you think I was going to react! You were beyond furious and violent and I couldn't let Hope be a part of the bloodbath. I was following my maternal instincts and doing what I thought was right." She wiped her tears away but they wouldn't stop.

"I thought Hope would be the catalyst for our relationship and your relationship with your family. You were on your way to redemption and becoming a better person – someone that I cared deeply for… someone who I thought–" she gulped and turned away from him. Klaus walked over and sat on the coffee table in front her watching her intensely. He held her chin turning her face to make her look at him. Her eyes were red and displayed for him clearly all her brokenness.

"You thought what, Little Wolf?" He whispered.

"I thought you were someone I could learn to love and live with for the rest of my life." She admitted feeling her cheeks flush. The hybrid let go of her chin and averted his gaze, taken aback by Hayley's confession. He never knew that she felt that way. Hell, he firmly believed that she never could feel that way about him in spite of what they've been through.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked standing up slowly.

"Would you have listened?" She snapped. Hayley stood up and walked to the door opening it ready to leave. "Klaus, you once said that we are a lot alike, I've always understood that, but now it's even clearer – we're both stubborn and hard-headed people who are willing to go to extreme lengths to protect the ones we love but the only difference between you and me is that I allow my feelings to consume me and it makes me the person I am. You ignore your feelings and forget about them. You're a selfish dick who is incapable of truly loving others," she whispered the final part. Klaus was angry, making him react instinctively by vamp-speeding over to Hayley and pushing her against the wall, gripping her biceps tightly.

"Be careful what you say, Little Wolf. Don't speak as though you know me." He growled, eyes narrowing at the younger hybrid.

"I know you more than you think."

"Really? You tell me that I ignore my feelings – I do not. I love my siblings and Hope and I am willing do to anything in my power to protect them." Hayley's eyes fell, slightly saddened that Klaus didn't mention her in his declaration of love.

"What about me? What am I to you?" She whispered looking dead straight in his eyes with tears welling up in hers again.

He was quiet at first, having several immediate answers he could say to her and any one would suffice. Yet he chose to go with the simple truth, baring his soul a bit as she had already done. "You're someone who I care very deeply for still, despite our broken relationship. When I'm around you, I feel different when I'm around you – I almost feel peaceful." He loosened his left hand and ran it through her chestnut brown hair, loosening some of her curls. "I don't know what it is, but I like it." He released her and looked away. "I would like you to come back and live in the Compound. Hope needs her mother and I need you to be around her at all times to protect her if anything is to come." He walked over to the bar and poured himself a glass of scotch. "Your bedroom's already made up."

"It's not like she knows who I am," the brunette muttered exiting the door. It was a bit of an unnecessary dig given that Hope was already warming up to her biological mother in the past few weeks.

"I'm sorry, Hayley," he whispered thinking the mother of his child didn't hear him, but she left the room with a small smile on her face… she was breaking his walls and it felt so good.

* * *

The young hybrid returned to the now quiet party, where the other guests had left, leaving only the Mikaelson siblings and honorary family members left in the courtyard. Her face was flushed and her body slightly trembling, still in shock at Klaus's words. She grinned as she walked to join her friends.

"What are you grinning about Hayley?" Rebekah asked amused. She and Katherine saw Klaus and Hayley leaving the party together and walking upstairs and the two girls got a bit giddy. They used their vamp-hearing and eavesdropped on the hybrids' conversation and now they were practically bouncing in their seats.

"Oh, nothing… just glad that I'm moving back in," she responded casually. Davina, Rebekah, and Katherine jumped up and started squealing, crushing Hayley into a hug making everyone else laugh. Klaus watched on from the balcony, smiling at the sight of his family. For once, there was a sense of peace within the Mikaelsons' home.

"Ladies, can we tone down the squealing? My ears might start bleeding." Marcel rubbed his finger in his ear pretending to test his hearing to ensure that he hadn't gone deaf.

Davina grinned sheepishly while Katherine and Rebekah were clearly unapologetic. The youngest Original sibling then pulled Hayley to the black grand piano asking if she would play given that the hybrid once mentioned that she had talent that went beyond her string instrument. The brunette agreed as she ran her fingers over the keys and smiled softly. Even though it'd been quite some time since she touched a piano, like riding a bike her musical skills never left her.

Klaus walked down the stairs quietly as Hayley began playing "Fur Elise." Everyone listened quietly as they enjoyed hearing the amazing piece of music.

Once the song finished, the sound of boots stomping against stone was heard and everyone turned to see Jackson storming into the Compound. "Hayley, we need to talk."

"No, we don't," Hayley responded firmly as she stood from the piano bench with Rebekah and Davina at her side. Jackson's aggravation was palatable and Freya and Katherine joined the other girls in case the wolf boy chose to attack Hayley.

"The pack is getting even more restless. Their morale is weakening. We need to do something. In fact, I think we should unite the pack again."

"Well, I'm not marrying you again if that's what you're trying to suggest." The hybrid took a deep breath, rubbing her forehead.

"The pack isn't happy," he stated strongly trying to get her to understand his point of view.

"By the pack, you mean your side of the clan. My side seem fine and have been supportive." Jackson looked surprised. Hayley smirked. In the past weeks it became clear that the Crescent wolves were divided. A portion of them still despised her for being a hybrid and having a connection the Original family of vampires, this faction supported Jackson as the alpha. The rest were truly loyal to and in favour of Hayley as their rightful alpha and queen.

"My supporters have decided that they no longer want to be stuck in the bayou, they're weak and powerless. If you're not going to do anything to do about it, then we're leaving. We want out of the New Orleans." Everyone was in shock while Hayley was furious.

"Are you trying to threaten me?" She questioned. Klaus stood there watching the Alpha Queen took a stance. Jackson and Hayley didn't move, however, the male wolf actually flinched but still refused to back down. Abruptly she shouted, "Fine! GO! I don't need your wolves to protect my family. Leave. You're a spineless bastard anyways." Hayley spat. This was the first time she had ever said anything deplorable to or about Jack, but she'd had enough, especially as she discovered that no amount of love Jackson had for her could overcome the loyalty he had to his wolves. He growled and marched out of the Compound.

As Hayley's ire faded, her mind caught up with what just happened and she couldn't believe it. All of the sudden she started hyperventilating. "Shit. What am I going to do? The pack is going to be so pissed? What happens if someone tries to come after Hope again? What do I do? We're too weak. I don't have a united pack. My part pack is not strong enough. I'm a terrible mother. I'm so stupid." She continued randomly ranting her worries as Klaus vamp-speed over to the mother of his child and brought her into his arms, much to everyone's surprise, and began calming her down, smoothing her hair as she tried to control her breathing against his shoulders. He looked at the other occupants of the courtyard and jerked his head signalling for them to leave and thankfully they complied without a word.

"What am I going to do, Klaus?" She whimpered. She pulled herself away from his chest and looked up into his gorgeous blue eyes.

"My family and I and our friends will help you. This is your pack – you are the rightful queen and you deserve a strong army to support you."

"What can you do? They're not going to want to band together with vampires or hybrids like me and you."

"I'll call Cary and see what the North East Atlantic Pack can do," Klaus offered. Hayley then remembered that, in his time, Klaus's father was the Alpha of a strong werewolf pack and was also exceedingly knowledgeable about the old ways of the werewolves.

"Maybe if Ansel were here, he might've been able to guide us through these kinds of situations," Hayley whispered. Klaus tensed at hearing his dead biological father's name. It brought the feeling of guilt back – he had killed him for the protection of his daughter, but he still wished he had time to know him.

"Hmm…"

"He would be proud of you. You protect your family, your daughter, and your close friends." She smiled reassuringly as she gently caressed his cheek.

"I wish he was still here. I wish I didn't have to kill him, but..." Klaus closed his eyes almost reliving that moment, that heart wrenching moment...

"He'll always be here," Hayley moved her hand to his beating heart, "He loved you your entire life and I'm sure he understands why you did what you did."

"Thank you, Little Wolf." Klaus softly kissed her forehead and they remained in a close embrace.

His siblings watched them closely, smiling proudly seeing their brother slowly changing into the person they hoped he would become. Not only was it because of Hope but because of the woman who helped bring her into existence.

* * *

 _Things are looking bright for Hayley and Klaus! I don't want to focus too much on them finding each other, more of the progress in their relationship :)_

 _I love the support of Klayley happening ! Season 3 is so disappointing with the lack of interaction between Hayley and Klaus!_

 _Thank you to everyone who has reviewed :)_

 _Keep reading & reviewing :)_

 _xoxo CrazyCaz_


	4. Chapter 4

Many thanks to my amazing beta - AryaTindomiel :)

* * *

Chapter Four

Klaus, with a smile on his face, stood in front of his easel stroking paint onto the canvas while using his vamp-hearing to listen to Hayley dotingly tend to their daughter while softly singing to her.

 _"You're such a beautiful baby girl... I love you so much and your daddy loves you more than anything in the world too, but... I l ove you a little bit more than he does."_

He came to realise that hearing her quiet giggles made his heart beat just a little faster. He knew that something was changing inside him. His usually cold heart was warm whenever she was around him – not that that was an entirely new feeling but its intensity was stronger as of late. The flowery perfume, mingled with her natural wild and woodsy scent, invigorated his senses and made him weaken.

After a few more minutes of simply standing and listening he put the brush down, left his art studio, made his way down the hall, and knocked on the nursery door.

"Come in!" Hayley called from the other side of the door. Klaus opened and entered the room to see before him the sight of the mother of his child by the window cradling Hope on her shoulder. The sunlight was acting as a spotlight on the two of them making Hayley's long chestnut-coloured hair shine and showcase its various hues and highlights.

"Good morning love, how is our Littlest Wolf today?" Klaus walked closer to the pair with his hands behind his back, smiling softly.

"She's good. She hasn't cried or even whined so I guess she's used to being with me again. I just wish she would call me mama." Hayley refused to make eye contact with Klaus – she knew he felt guilty for allowing Cami to replace her role as their daughter's mother, but he couldn't find the words to apologise to her that would do justice and mend the rift between them.

"She will soon enough, just give her some time." Hayley only gave a single, curt nod as she turned and put Hope back into her crib. She turned back around to face Klaus who reached out and held her hands. It was now or never with his apologies.

"Hayley…" She looked up into his eyes that were full of guilt and sorrow. "Little Wolf…" Hayley's eyes lit up hearing his endearment. "I am sincerely sorry for all the pain and suffering I have caused you for those six months. Elijah and Rebekah always speak of me redeeming myself and how Hope my that redemption but my actions towards you – the mother of my child, someone who I trust and care about – only made me regress instead of progress."

"Stop Klaus, please-"

"No... I need to do this for me and for you. You have my deepest apologies." He ran his fingers down the soft skin of her bare arm, making her shiver. She pulled away from him slightly to stop anything more from happening.

"I can't accept your apology Klaus, not completely, it'll take more than just your words." He stiffened and his temper and exasperation was rising within him ready to lash out at her again. "However, for Hope's sake we need to move on from the past and work together to protect she and be the kind of parents that she deserves, the kind that we both never had," Hayley concluded. Klaus calmed and nodded moving closer to the younger hybrid to cup her cheek in his palm.

"That is all I've ever wanted for our daughter. I will do everything I can to earn your forgiveness and trust again." He caressed her smooth skin with his calloused thumb looking into her hazel eyes intensely. She reached to the hand on her cheek and squeezed it gently, telling him without words that she was willing to work with him and that they would get through this.

* * *

"Stefan, what brings you to New Orleans?" Elijah adjusted his tie as he walked down the stairs with Katherine Pierce following close behind him. The couple looked at him curiously.

Before the newcomer could respond he was interrupted. "Stefan Salvatore! What brings you to my humble abode?" Everyone turned to Klaus who was practically magnetized to Hayley's side as they walked down the stairs together.

Stefan shrugged casually. "Well, Mystic Falls was getting a bit too drama filled for me so I decided take a little vacation. I know I'm here without forewarning but I did get an invitation to visit the city anytime I felt like coming."

"And who was it that invited you?" Hayley pulled away from Klaus's side and made her way toward the direction of the kitchen to oversee the breakfast being prepared for the family. Even though the Originals had an established cooking staff, Hayley and Katherine surprisingly shared a love for culinary arts and enjoyed cooking meals themselves whenever they had the time or inclination.

"I did." Rebekah strutted down the stairs smiling. She walked over and gave Stefan a quick hug before leading him to the sitting room while gesturing a servant to take Stefan's things to his guest room. Klaus and Elijah followed their sister while Katherine went with Hayley.

* * *

The three siblings and Stefan spent the next hour catching up and exchanging news. At the sound of Katherine's call, the four of them joined the rest of the Abattoir's inhabitants in the dining room for breakfast.

The Mystic Falls vampire was already informed of who was living in the house and what they were if he had never properly met them, now Rebekah took to introducing – or re-acquainting in some cases – him to them as everyone chose their seats. Stefan was next to Rebekah with Davina and Kol on her other side. Klaus, of course was seated at the head of the table with his elder brother sitting on the opposite end and Hayley sat on the right of Klaus next to Freya. Spread on the table were platters of scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, a range of juices, and much more. There were even a few servants standing by holding small knives in their hands in case the vampires wanted fresh blood instead of the blood bags on a tray next them.

Everyone proceeded to fill their plates with food and make casual conversation with one another.

Halfway through the meal Elijah directly asked their guest, "So Stefan how long are you planning on staying for?" The eldest Mikaelson brother was still unsure about having him in New Orleans. He may be the good Salvatore brother but anyone who wasn't part of the family was a potential enemy.

"To be honest, I'm not sure. Probably until the Mystic Falls drama catches up to me and I'll be forced to go back," Stefan paused before adding, "Or until I'm no longer welcome here."

"Oh please, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like," Rebekah imputed, glancing sideways at Klaus who nodded his approval of her offer to their guest.

Stefan flashed a humble smile. "Thank you, I appreciate it."

Katherine displayed her signature smirk, "Actually I think the citizens of New Orleans will appreciate having your handsome face lighten up the French Quarter, it's been rather dark for a while."

Her comment only skated the edge of flirtation, there was no intention behind her words, but still Elijah's brown eyes narrowed a fraction and sharply said, "Katerina..."

"Elijah..." She echoed, voice tinted with an adoring tone while her feline gaze shifted to her lover's face and the smirk melted into a soft and ardent beam.

Kol immediately interrupted the intense stare-off, "Alright now you two turtle doves," he then put his hand over Davina's eyes, "Let's not traumatize anyone else shall we?" Alluding to the time he caught them being amorous in the corridors.

The couple turned their glares onto the mischievous Mikaelson brother while his girlfriend huffed, ripped his hand from her face, and slapped his leg.

The other occupants of the table shared an amused laugh and the meal continued until everyone had their fill and then parted ways. Rebekah showed Stefan to his room while the rest of the family went the study for further discussion of their plans.

"We need to talk about what we are going to do with the Crescent Pack. We need to protect Hope and make sure this city is safe." Hayley spoke in an Alpha tone, looking directly at Klaus.

"I've yet to contact North East Atlantic Pack, but with that weak mutt and his followers moving out of the bayou, they can stay there or if some of the wolves prefer we can make arrangements for them in the Quarter." Klaus knew that more needed to be done to create unity between the remainder of the Crescent Pack and the North East Atlantic Pack but he was rather uncertain of what exactly to do. He, unlike Hayley, had always been more vampire than werewolf in spite of being equally both.

"Niklaus, you know that bringing them here and asking them to fight for the sake of Hope is not enough. They and Hayley's pack have always been rivals and that is not going to change simply on your command." Elijah said.

Kol suddenly had a brilliant thought – something that Davina had already done successfully and with his and Freya's help it can definitely be a success... the only problem would be his big brother's consent. The Other Side may have been destroyed but there were remnants of it left and those supernatural who died after its destruction could still be stuck there, especially if there were those still they had unfinished business with.

"We can possibly bring back your biological father, Nik." Klaus was stunned. He hadn't thought of that. Hayley inconspicuously reached out to Klaus's hand and squeezed it gently.

"Ansel can help up with this. He knew more than any wolf alive about how to unite wolf packs and he was one the strongest and most influential Alphas in werewolf history." Hayley stated.

Davina then spoke, "Freya, Kol, and I can immediately start working on the spell, but we need his ashes." The little witch glanced at Klaus.

The Original Hybrid only nodded and with a simple, "Alright then," he was off with Elijah following him.

Freya blinked at her brothers' back, "I suppose we'll take that as a affirmation then."

Hayley sighed and got up. "I better head out to the bayou and talk to the pack."

"I'll come with you. You need one of us to back you up if anyone tries to attack you." Katherine smirked.

"Come on Kat you may have a few centuries but I'm a hybrid… they can't mess with me." Hayley grinned. Katherine laughed and walked out with her leaving the other three to prepare to bring Ansel back.

The two eldest Mikaelson brothers were quick to locate Ansel's body. Thankfully their mother made it known to her son that she indeed put his father, her former lover, to rest after she had found his bloody corpse. Klaus and Elijah wasted no time or words as they dug up the coffin and set the body on fire.

When they returned to the Compound, Ansel's ashes were handed off the family witches. Kol left them to their magic and joined his brothers deciding to prod Klaus. No one was oblivious to the shift in his relationship with the woman who gave him his child and while they were all curious it seemed that Kol was the only one who was going to interrogate.

"So, what's the deal with you and Hayley?" Kol asked breaking the silence between the three Originals while they waited for Ansel's resurrection.

"Nothing, she's the mother of my child." Klaus answered quickly. Kol smirked at Elijah, their beloved brother oh so loved his default answers and he absolutely refused to voice what it is between himself and Hayley.

"Please Niklaus, that girl means more to you than you are willing to admit." Klaus stopped short of pouring himself a drink. He was instantly irritated at hearing his brother make statements about his feelings, regardless of the validity of his words.

"Kol, Elijah, why don't the both of you focus your energy on maintaining your own relationships instead of concerning yourselves with mine and Hayley's. How I feel about her has absolutely nothing to do with you either. Unless…" Klaus turned around to face Elijah, "You're just using Katerina as your momentary comfort to mask your own feelings for Hayley."

Elijah scowled at Klaus's accusation. "Brother, I love Hayley like a sister, just as I love Rebekah and Freya. Katerina is the woman who holds my heart and I willingly admit. Now, you need to sort out your feelings for Hayley because if one thing is absolutely certain it is that she is clear about her feelings for you, whatever they may be." The two were standing close to each other facing off.

Kol watched and listened until they only stared, so he stepped in between them and pressed his hands on their chest and pushed them away from each other. "Alright Brothers, time to grow a pair and stop talking about our feelings. There are enough women in this household already anyway."

Klaus then determined that he could not stay in their presence any longer, he needed to see his daughter. "Where is Hope?"

Kol lifted his chin towards the ceiling. "She's upstairs with Hayley and Rebekah. Try not to anger Hayley though… things apparently didn't go well for her in the bayou."

Klaus nodded and started towards the stairs. He entered the open nursery to see his younger sister sitting on the floor playing with her niece.

She gave her brother an apprehensive look. "Did you find his body?"

"Yes we did. Our family witches are working on it now." Hayley came into the room looking frustrated. Not noticing Klaus was also present she bent down and picked up her daughter.

"Come on baby girl, time for a bath." She looked at her almost sister and thanked her before catching sight of the father of her child. "Oh Klaus you're back!" She said with surprise.

"Kol informed me that you encountered some issues with your pack."

Rebekah stealthily left the room and closed the door softly, smiling on the way out.

"They're reluctant to follow me now. Some of the wolves are blaming me for breaking up some of their families because Jackson and his followers want to leave and they are also refusing to work with wolves of another pack."

"Did you tell them which pack?"

"Not yet… I was going to but then things got a bit heated and some were going to attack but luckily I was able to subdue them. Katherine made her own impression, not a positive one and if I hadn't stopped her she probably would have killed them."

Klaus frowned. "You should've let her. If she won't, I will. How dare they try to hurt you?" He was about to storm out so he could make his own impression on the Crescents but Hayley reached out to his arm to stop him.

"It's my pack, let me deal with them. For now, you just do whatever it takes to bring your father's pack here." Klaus almost shivered at the pleasant sensation Hayley's touch gave him. She thankfully didn't notice and asked if he wanted to help her with Hope to which he agreed.

For the next few hours they spent time caring for their daughter and playing with her. The one-year-old seemed especially happy, perhaps it was because her parents were together and with her and for at least this time the three of them were content in one another's company.

The hybrid family's peace was interrupted by Rebekah shouting, "KLAUS! HAYLEY! COME DOWNSTAIRS!" Hayley softly growled, after such a terrible day this time with Klaus and Hope was nice and she didn't appreciate that it was being cut short. Klaus chuckled and went downstairs with right behind Hayley holding Hope.

The rest of the Compound's current residents were gathered around watching Klaus closely as he strode into the room. The Original Hybrid stopped and could only stare as he took in the sight of the newly risen man before him.

"Hello Son…"

* * *

 _Looks like Hayley is playing hard to accept Klaus's apologies but I think it's the right think to do because he betrayed her terribly, worse than what she did to him._

 _Yes! Stefan is in this story - I've always liked him and pitied him with the way Elena treated him in The Vampire Diaries. I still think it's weird Marcel and Rebekah were together and if they were to be together in future, it's weird. Klaus raised him as a son._

 _Thank you for all the support :) Lots of love!_

 _R &R please :)_

 _xox 3 Caz_


	5. Chapter 5

Of course, I must thank my amazing beta AryaTindomiel :)

* * *

Chapter Five

"Father…" Klaus muttered. Nothing was said by anyone else in the room as father and son stared each other down while the rest of the occupants in the room watched with bated breath of what would happen next.

Ansel seemed to sense that his son was waiting on him to say something so he obliged. "Now that Klaus has graced us with his presence can my questions be answered now? What is the meaning of this? Why am I alive again?" The resurrected wolf was beyond confused with why he was once again among the living and with his son standing before him. Their last conversation and how he ended up dead, at the hands of Klaus himself at that, left them on awkward terms to say the least. Despite this, unknowingly to either, they both held onto the fleeting belief that there was some hope for reparation in their relationship.

Hayley then spoke up. "Ansel you're here because we need your help... I need your help." It was her pack and therefore it was her responsibility to deal with the situation. The female hybrid then looked at the members of her extended family for a moment. "So which one of you wants to take Hope while her parents talk wolf business?"

Freya stepped forward with the other women of the house right behind her, "Come here baby girl," the loving aunt gently took her darling niece into her arms giving Hayley a nod then giving a jerk of her chin indicating to everyone else that they should give the wolves some privacy to discuss matters.

Hayley offered the eldest Mikaelson sister an appreciative smile as her focus went back to the two men staying behind. "Klaus, Ansel, shall we proceed to the library?"

Klaus was slightly surprised and yet not at all since of course he had seen her formal and authoritative before, despite her lack of confidence she truly did have the natural resolve and charisma of the greatest of leaders. This was something he had always sensed but did not confirm until later on during her pregnancy, but still every time Hayley showed her strength and power proving that there was more to her than meets the eye, Klaus warmed with pride and was always in awe of her.

As the three wolves settled Ansel spoke first, "So what is this wolf business that you wanted to discuss?" The former wolf chief was avoiding direct eye contact with Klaus while the son himself was struggling with inner turmoil, unsure with how he should react to having his father alive again – a part of him wanted to forgive and renew a relationship with him but he cannot forget about his abandonment when he was a child and he had a sinking suspicion that Ansel hated him for killing him when all his father wanted to do was make up for lost time.

"As you may remember Ansel from the last time we met, Jackson told you that he and I were supposed to be married. Well, to do right by my pack and my parents I accepted Jackson's proposal. Because of Klaus's witch aunt Dahlia coming to try to claim my daughter as part of a bargain she made with Esther the wedding was pushed up but unification was successful, the Crescent became enhanced wolves, pledged to me as one of their Alphas and their Queen, and were protectors of my daughter. Unfortunately, Dahlia created dissension between the Crescent Pack and the Mikaelsons and the wolves were cursed for half a year. After the curse was broken I dissolved the unification to Jackson, but this also divided the pack. Jackson and his followers have left New Orleans. Those who are loyal to me remain in the bayou all the while losing faith in me by the day because of the division of the pack."

Ansel stayed quiet letting all the information sink into his mind. He had an idea of where this was going, but he still wondered what he was to do… after all he was no longer Chief of his pack. "And again I ask what is it do you want from me?"

"The North East Atlantic Pack," Klaus answered. "They are connected to the Crescents by the existence of Hope but as we all know these two clans have been enemies for centuries. However if we can bring them together, we will have a strong army to protect our daughter."

Hayley spoke again, "Hope's safety is the most important thing in the world to me... to us, but my clan has suffered enough. As much as they want to regain power, their hardships over the years have made them hesitant about working with a foreign wolf pack."

Ansel nodded in understanding and contemplation, a few courses of action ran through his head. He knew that when it came to werewolves ambition was almost as great as loyalty. Bloodlines bound through unification to strengthen and empower packs were common in the old days but never did rival bloodlines – especially those of the original werewolf bloodlines – form eternal alliances. However, as Klaus had said two of the original bloodlines were forever bound through Hope Mikaelson no matter what hearsay anyone had to voice.

"The existence of your daughter is enough incentive for either pack to fight in her name for blood ties are strong. However, the two of you desire for these two rival packs to fight together as one. For that, there is only one way to bring the North East Atlantic and Crescent wolves together without involving too much bloodshed… the Unification Ceremony between the pack Alphas," he finished softly.

Hayley immediately stood up, objecting to his words. "No. Absolutely not. I am not entering another loveless marriage Ansel."

Klaus himself had an idea forming in his head, but he was hesitant to voice it. "Hayley," the older hybrid said as he gently squeezed her arm to assure her and looked at his father. "The current Alpha of the North East Atlantic Pack is Cary, but as it is known an alpha's position can be challenged for whatever reason as long as there is support for the succeeding alpha."

"While that's true what are getting at Klaus?"

He ignored Hayley and decided to just bring out his suggestion. "Whether by his own choice or his defeat at my hand, if I become the Alpha after Cary I can represent the North East Atlantic Pack in the unification the Crescent Clan." Ansel and Hayley looked at him – one was thinking about the outcome and the other completely shocked.

Ansel looked pointedly at his child. "You are my eldest and only living son, Klaus, you have a right to be the Alpha. As I understand, Cary should know this and there is a possibility that he will simply relinquish the control of the pack to you without you having to challenge him."

Hayley felt a headache forming as a million things went around her mind. As a little girl Hayley decided that she wanted complete independence – living her life the way she wanted with the job she wanted and no one holding her back. The alternative choice was the perfect family – marriage to a man that she loves and who loves her in return for all that she is and children who they would both love no matter what. After triggering her wolf gene all she longed for was simply family – her real parents, maybe a sibling or two, a husband and children would be a bonus. With the way things turned out for her now, what she wanted most was the best of everything for Hope. Entering a business marriage so soon after leaving another was too much so as Klaus and Ansel continued talking about their plans, Hayley stealthily exited the room and went to the nursery.

* * *

Freya was sitting on the floor with her niece as the little girl played with her toys when Hayley entered and the witch immediately saw brunette's glassy eyes and stricken face. "Hayley, is everything alright?"

"Ansel said that I have to remarry to create a permanent alliance with the North East Atlantic Pack." Freya breath hitched. "Klaus suggested that he would marry me once he becomes the Alpha... Freya, I can't do it." Hope's cries for attention made Hayley look to her child. The young mother picked her daughter up and cuddled her closely.

Freya got onto her feet and put her hand on Hayley's shoulder. "I know it's not the ideal situation, but at least you will be marrying someone who is as equally devoted to this the cause as you are... You and Klaus feel something for each other, more than either of you realise and beyond the child you share. This marriage may be a chance for you to figure things out," Freya said thoughtfully before exiting the room.

Hayley watched Freya as she thought about her words. After a few moments she remembered that Rebekah insisted on a large family-made dinner tonight with all their family and close friends together. So she left the nursery with Hope in her arms making her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Katherine was already there gathering the various ingredients for the meal of roast chicken with roast vegetables and gravy they decided to make. The brunettes smiled at each other as the hybrid put her baby in her high chair and gave the little girl a snack and her little wooden knight to keep her occupied.

The two women worked with each other for the next couple of hours, the kitchen staff offering assistance when they were needed. Hayley was checking on the chicken in the oven when Klaus appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. One look at the master of the house had the staff vacating the room in a rush. Katherine stared at the Original Hybrid with severe warning in her dark eyes, greatly resembling her dearest lover, before she took Hope from her high chair and left the hybrids alone.

Klaus wandered in the room with his hands behind his back looking calm and contained despite being slightly annoyed that she abruptly left the room without further discussion. "Little Wolf, can we talk?"

Hayley herself wasn't angry at Klaus. She was more upset about the constant sacrifices she's had to make in order to keep the pack happy and to keep their daughter little Hope safe. "Sure." She began cutting more vegetables as Klaus began to speak.

"For this marriage _CHOP_ to work, we need to _CHOP_ work together to ensure _CHOP_ Hope's safety. We need to set _CHOP_ our differences aside and have a truce." _CHOP_. Klaus's agitation grew and he ended up shouting, "HAYLEY! STOP CHOPPING AND LISTEN TO ME."

The female hybrid put down the knife, huffing, "Fine."

"We need to discuss this now." He stalked over to the opposite side of the kitchen island from her and stared at the mother of his daughter. She lifted her head completely and looked at him, his blue eyes were darker than usual. "Why are you so against marrying me? I'm trying to do the right thing for once in my life." He said quietly.

She sighed. "It's not marrying you that I'm against, it's other things."

"Tell me." He pressed.

"I'm sick of being the one having to sacrifice my own happiness for the pack!" She shouted as angry tears began forming on her eyes. Then abruptly going back to chopping the vegetables loudly and while trying to get her breathing under control. Klaus walked around the island and pressed his body against Hayley's back, causing her to stiffen. He reached out and placed one hand on the knife to stop her from cutting anymore vegetables and the other one wrapped around her slim waist.

"I'm sorry, love. Being an alpha queen has taken a toll on you, but this marriage could lead you, us towards unexpected happiness. I would be honoured to have you as my wife and the new Queen of New Orleans." He whispered into her ear, then pressed his warm lips behind Hayley's ear, an action he knew had a relaxing affect on her. "We may not love each other... yet, but we can work our way towards building a family for Hope and giving her everything that neither of us had and more." She could feel his breaths at the back of her neck heating her skin. He began pressing kisses along her jaw then nibbled on her earlobe eliciting a breathy gasp from her.

"Please Little Wolf, give us a chance… give me a chance to make you happy." He nuzzled his nose on the crook of her neck, gently pressing kisses on the smooth skin.

Hayley could not handle it anymore – she spun around and pulled Klaus down to her. She pressed her lips roughly against his and Klaus immediately responded, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and began exploring it then he nipped her bottom lip causing her to groan and press closer to him as he wrapped his arms tighter around her. Klaus pulled away from her lips and began kissing down her throat and moving to her collarbone. Hayley was now panting like a wolf in a heat as his lips trailed back up to hers.

"I'll marry you…" She mumbled against his mouth. He pulled back from her and looked at her with wide eyes. "I'll marry you – but I have conditions: first, I want you to me promise that you will always tell me everything that you plan when it comes to anything that has to do with Hope, us, and our families." She looked at him sternly.

He smiled while nodding, "You have my word on that."

Her fingers then threaded through the golden hair on the back of his neck. "Second... I want to be properly courted," she said coquettishly. "We ' get officially engaged until we've had at least five dates and I get my dream wedding," she demanded.

He let out a small chuckle as he pictured the different date scenarios he could take her out on with various outcomes. "I can do that. I will take you out next Friday night for our first date then." Klaus pressed a final kiss to her slightly bruised lips before leaving her to finish up her cooking.

When Klaus was at the kitchen doorway Hayley added, "And no sex until we're married." He laughed but she heard the tiniest bit of disappointment in the sound.

The she wolf shook her head while softly biting her lower lip. Even now after all they've been through they could still slip back into old habits she thought they long buried since before they were reunited with Hope. Then again, whether they were positive or negative, the aspects of the relationship between Hayley and Klaus were always so natural.

* * *

After her shower, Hayley changed into a simple white blouse, a pair of slim black leggings, and a long grey cardigan wrap completing her outfit with a pair of heeled black leather boots. She raced down to the kitchen to ensure that everything was perfect for the evening.

Katherine and Parisian heels clicked into the kitchen holding a fussy Hope. "Hey, Hayley a certain someone seems to want her mommy." The brunette vampire handed over the child to her mother.

Once the baby settled, Hayley ran her hand through her daughter's growing dark-golden hair. "So all the food looks like it's in order."

"And the servants have assembled the chairs and finished the table settings in the dining room," Katherine stated proudly.

Hayley smiled in response but kept her eyes on Hope. "Are you hungry baby girl?" The one year old's answer was to make a grab for the carrots while babbling. Rebekah and Freya came into the kitchen and instantly beamed at the sight of the food and Hope.

The women then proceeded to the dining hall and Freya sent a magical signal throughout the house to alert the residents that dinner was ready. Everyone began filing in and took their seats around the dinner table. On cue, the servants came with the dinner and the food quickly made its way from the platters and trays to the plates.

Hayley plated up some carrots and began mashing it up for Hope as Ansel complimented her and Katherine on their culinary skills.

She smiled while shrugging, "You gotta learn to cook if you've been on your own since you were a teenager." Surprisingly her cooking partner was modest as well to Ansel's praise, which earned Katherine adoring eyes and sweet nothings from her Elijah.

Dinner was going quite smoothly for once in the Mikaelson household, an extremely rare occurrence indeed. Every person seemed engrossed in buzzing conversation, including Ansel who was cordially speaking with Freya and Elijah.

Klaus helped feed Hope, giving the mother of his child a break after spending so much time preparing the evening meal. When he was certain no one was paying attention, he leaned over towards Hayley and whispered, "Would you like to announce the plan for our upcoming nuptials, love?"

Hayley instantly shook her head. "We are not telling them anything until you propose to me." She smirked picturing Klaus bending down on one knee with a ring box in his palm. While it would be an amusing sight it seemed too... humanly traditional for him.

Klaus nodded and stood up with his glass of wine in hand. "It has been a splendid evening with this lovely feast that Hayley and Katerina prepared for us. I would like to officially welcome Ansel, my biological father to our family." He raised his glass towards his father across the table from him. "I do hope you feel more than welcome here with all of us. And Stefan as you should already know you are welcome here for as long as you like. I'd also like to thank Marcel and Joshua for joining us tonight." The two vampires smiled raised their glasses to the hybrid.

"Well, isn't this a lovely sight. All the family in one room."

All eyes were then directed to the intruder at the doorway.

"Oh bloody hell…" Rebekah muttered with an edge of distress.

* * *

 _Hi! I'm so sorry about the long hiatus! I was overseas and was also suffering from a major writer's block! Now, it's alright! Clearly this is an AU to Season 3 because I'm not even watching The Originals anymore. It's so hard to follow - however I will be introducing some of the current season's concepts and characters into this fanfiction._

 _Thank you so much for sticking with me and this story! It means a lot to me!_

 _Keep the R &R coming._

 _xoxo CrazyCaz_


	6. Chapter 6

Once again - thank you to my amazing beta AryaTindomiel :)

* * *

Chapter Six

"Well, isn't this a lovely sight. All the family in one room."

All eyes were then directed to the intruder at the doorway.

"Oh bloody hell…" Rebekah muttered with an edge of distress. She and her brothers quickly stood from their seats, ready to attack or defend if necessary. The rest of the people at the table looked confused, but quickly caught onto the fact that the intruder wasn't a friend. Hayley immediately picked up Hope as everyone else rose from the table.

The red-headed woman with bright eyes and a mischievous smirk on her heart-shaped face stepped further into the dining room. Her short physical stature did not detract the air of the nobility she held about herself.

Her high-pitched voice rang again as she snagged a glass of wine, "Our apologies for interrupting dinner but we thought that a proper announcement of our arrival was warranted," she met Klaus's eye and added, "In addition to a warning to Clan Mikaelson." No one moved or said a word, only watching the small woman with cautious eyes. So after a sip of wine she continued, "But first for those of you who are ignorant of my identity allow me to introduce myself," holding her arms slightly out at her sides she bent into a neat curtsy, "I am Aurora de Martel, former love of Niklaus Mikaelson and the first of Rebekah Mikaelson's sireline." Aurora giggled, "And I'm sure you're wondering what I meant by 'we' so without further ado my beloved brother Tristan de Martel, the first of Elijah Mikaelson's sireline."

A man with light brown hair and facial features (predominantly the bright eyes) that matched Aurora's walked into the room with the same noble demeanor as his sister's and set down on a side table a quite charming arrangement of flowers. "Good evening all. Again our sincere apologies for intruding, but as the high status ought to we brought a gift," Gesturing to the flowers and then, after a slight pause, to the doorway, "Or two."

Into the doorway vamp-sped a dark-skinned woman with the body of an Amazon and the gaze of viper. She held an unconscious Cami by the blonde's shoulders as blood stained her neck and torso from the long cut down her throat. Sharp gasps were released from the those of the Mikaelson household as they took in the sight.

The newcomer's wide dark eyes burned into Elijah's as she flung the bartender forward. Klaus vamp-sped over to Cami and caught her, cradling her in his arms. The eldest Mikaelson brother held his hand up, warning for no one else of his party to make a move just yet.

"What did you do to her?" Klaus roared towards the intruders of his house.

Aurora half-scoffed. "Oh, don't worry Nik. Knowing your affections for her we did not completely take her away." The hybrid's accusatory eyes lifted to the petite woman but she turned to the female Original, "Congratulations Rebekah, you're to have an addition to your sireline, isn't that exciting?" She put in with an offhand shrug, "Well that is if darling Cami chooses to complete her transition into a vampire."

"Sister dear, I believe that now is the time for us to depart." Aurora took Tristan's proffered arm and the de Martels made to leave as Elijah and his siblings stepped forward. "Oh I would not suggest for you to attack Elijah. Such a vulgar sight should not be witnessed by such innocence." The man's gaze shifted to Hope and then lingered on Hayley. "You wouldn't want to face the consequences..." the unvoiced danger hung in the air.

For that reason Elijah restrained himself and signaled for the others to do the same. "I recommend that you leave our home while you still can," Elijah glanced at the Amazon-esque woman once more, whose eyes never left him (something that Katherine indeed noticed), "And take your foot soldier with you." The woman's eyes narrowed but she said nothing and left before her leader.

With a small smile Tristan continued on his way, giving a side glance at Josh and left with the warning, "This is only the beginning Clan Mikaelson. You will see us again."

A collective breath was released when the de Martel siblings were gone. All eyes then turned to Cami's bleeding form.

"No..no..no…" Klaus muttered with tears forming in his eyes.

Elijah then cleared his throat. "Well it seems that our family must once again prepare for war." He walked to Klaus and tried to call for his brother but all the hybrid could do was brokenly look at the woman whose life was threatened because of him.

"She doesn't deserve this," Klaus whispered, "She should move back into the Compound so I can look after her…"

Hayley could not help but feel upset. She knew Cami had been a big part of Klaus's life since he had arrived in New Orleans, but still the sight she saw in front of her put her off. Aside from his siblings, Hope, and maybe Marcel Klaus had never shown true and constant concern or care for anyone as he did for Cami.

The female hybrid immediately left to the nursery with Hope's food in her hand, no one seemed to notice her departure. However with Rebekah coming through the door shortly after Hayley guessed she was wrong.

"It's going to be alright, Hayley." Rebekah made a point to watch Hayley when Cami was brought in and she knew seeing Klaus react the way he did bothered Hayley. The Original sister was very much pushing for Klaus and Hayley to finally get together, but she also knew that having Cami around would never end well especially after what happened tonight.

The two women were startled with the outburst that came from downstairs. "Shouldn't you be helping your brother?" Hayley asked her after she rapidly blinked away her tears. She stood up and cleaned up Hope before putting the little girl on the floor to play with her toys.

"I'm fairly certain that Nik has more than enough help." Rebekah laughed, "Besides until the discussion about who we get to kill comes up, I'd much rather be with you and my little niece." She sat down beside Hope and played with her.

All her thoughts and emotions were becoming too much for her. To try to collect herself she started to ramble to her friend. "You know, Klaus and I decided that we would give it a try... We were planning to get married to unite our packs together once he becomes Alpha, but we also decided that we would do it for ourselves. That we would try and have a real relationship, give Hope a real family." She started whimpering as her emotions took a toll on her mentally and physically. "Cami is going to be a vampire now, so even if he marries me, it won't mean anything because Cami will always come first." Hayley stormed to the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Rebekah allowed all that information to sink through. When she noticed her dozing niece she picked up Hope and cuddled her. "I'm going to make sure your mother and father have the happiness they deserve together," she said quietly and kissed the top of Hope's head. "Cami and anyone else who even thinks of trying will not interfere."

* * *

Cami was moved to a guest bedroom where she was cleaned up and a blood bag was left on a side table for her when she woke up. Davina and Josh were the only ones in the room with her, waiting for her to wake up. The little witch was still Hayley's team when it came down to the Hope and Klaus situation, but Cami was her friend and deep down Davina wanted them all to be on the same side. With these new vampires in town they would need all the allies they could get.

The others were in the study. Elijah and Klaus were doing most of the talking as everybody else watched.

"Niklaus, she cannot stay here!" Elijah was frustrated at his younger brother. Just as their family was finally starting to come together, things were falling apart for them once again.

"She'll be a danger to the people of New Orleans! She will need to learn to control the hunger." Klaus argued.

"You can't keep her locked up or chase after her every time she goes missing." Kol quipped also peeved.

"Hey Josh and I can help her," Marcel spoke up, "Cami is our friend and training newbie vampires is kind of our job anyway." Klaus sighed while agreed his brothers agreed with Marcel.

"NIK!" Rebekah marched her way over to Klaus, ignoring the other men around him. "The mother of your child is upstairs upset because you made some promises to her and now it seems you're throwing them back in her face!"

Klaus said nothing as he pushed past his sister ignoring Rebekah's shout about how Hayley doesn't want to see him, let alone speak to him. As Klaus left the room Marcel followed suit to check on Cami.

Kol then asked, "So what are going to do about Tristan and Aurora?"

Elijah only stated that matters would be further discussed in the morning and that for tonight they should secure the Compound from any other intruders.

Klaus tried to turn the knob but it was locked so he tried knocking. "Open the door, love. We need to talk." He was met with silence but he could hear shuffling.

Hayley's arms wrapped around her body, not used to feeling so vulnerable.

"Little Wolf," He mumbled.

"Go away, Klaus… I don't want to talk to you."

The hybrid put his hand against the door. "I'm sorry. The way I reacted with Cami, it was a spur of the moment, it-."

"No, it wasn't," Hayley sighed with her lip trembling. She opened the door and stood face-to-face with Klaus who had a very sombre expression on his face. "I think you need to re-think about this impending marriage. I know your life has already changed enough because of me but it was you who proposed marriage between us even if this is for Hope we still need to build something for it to work out." Hayley was trying to clearly get across what she wanted Klaus to understand. "Look I'm not telling or even asking you to cut Cami out of your life or to stop caring about her, but I refuse to be in a relationship let alone a marriage with three people in it. So, fourth condition, we can't start dating until you know exactly what you want."

"Hayley-" She immediately backed away as Klaus tried to touch to her.

"And for now, I just want you to leave me alone. Only come to me once you've reached your decision." Refusing to allow him to respond, she shut the door, locking it, and leaned against it breathing heavily.

On the other side, Klaus sighed and shook his head.

"Just give her some space brother, I believe she really wants this to work, not only for Hope but for herself." Freya said from behind him.

"For once in my life, I don't know what to do with this situation." Klaus quietly admitted.

"Well on the subject of Cami, Marcel and Josh will take care of her, so your attention doesn't have to be there, Davina and I just finished the protection spells so our home is secure for tonight, and you have your family here with you – Always and Forever right?" She crossed her arms across her chest and looked at him with a soft smirk.

He nodded. "Always and Forever indeed."

The eldest sister observed her brother, trying to determine whether his intentions with Hayley were genuine. His feelings for her of course were real, but did he truly want to commit to only Hayley, was he truly willing to forsake all others for the mother of his child, not because it would gain his family's approval but because it was something he wanted for himself.

"Klaus her heart never fully healed from what she's suffered in the past before she even met you. She's been nursing a broken heart and you have the power to break her even more than you already have. Like I said, give her space and figure out what you really want. If it's Hayley, prove it to her."

Klaus nodded in understanding before walking to his art studio and locking himself in it as he began painting away his frustrations.

* * *

Yay! Finally the drama starts! Thank God for my beta - I haven't been following the show religiously so she's been helping me incorporate bits of the show into the story, but also suggesting me new ideas :)

Yes. Finn will be back in the show and YES there will be some drama/angst between Klaus, Hayley & Camille - I mean, why wouldn't it have any?! Chapter 7 has sort of been written but been so busy with school and exams coming up, you'll have to wait till mid June! I'm so sorry to make you wait, but I will have plenty of time and be able to write constantly for not only this story, but ALL my stories. Next chapter, we'll see Hayley go through some character development where we find out a little bit more about her talents, and her hard life as she spends time with the girls (except Davina), revealing her secrets and fears like she never has before. Don't worry, Klaus will come to realisation with Hayley and Cami soon, but you need to start off a story with some maniac drama.

Please keep R&R and thank you so much for your patience :)

xoxo Caz

P.S - SO HAPPY THAT CAMI AND DAVINA IS DEAD... the most annoying characters ever - I don't get why people hate Hayley more than that blonde bimbo.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks again to my amazing beta - AryaTimodel :) Smut ahead.

* * *

Chapter Seven

 _One month later_

It had been a long and agonizing month for both Klaus and Hayley with their emotions so unsettled. Klaus would not back down even with Hayley's constant distancing and rejection. With the influence of his beloved siblings – mainly Rebekah and Kol – he was more than determined to fight for Hayley's attention, as well as her affections. There were times he would give her the space that she needed, but instead of running the city with Elijah and Marcel he was chasing after Cami to talk to her and bury the hatchet between them, after all it was his fault that she was no longer human. Cami was angry and refused to listen to Klaus, not only because vampirism was forced on her due to her association with him, but there was also envy towards Hayley. Davina still considered herself Cami's friend and so when asked, the young witch told the new vampire all that she knew of Klaus and Hayley's relationship (unknowingly fuelling the rivalry between the two older women).

The female hybrid saw Cami two weeks after her transition. For the most part, things were awkward. They spent a few hours discussing everything including the arrangement to protect Hope. She hadn't planned to tell Cami but apparently the baby vamp had learned about it directly from Davina and got confirmation from a couple other people so there was no denying it. Hayley was good at reading people and gave Cami credit for her lack of reaction, but she could still feel some resentment coming from the blonde almost as if she blamed Hayley for taking Klaus away from her.

A few nights after Aya and the de Martel siblings showed up at the Compound, Ansel and Klaus's pack arrived in New Orleans. Elijah raised an eyebrow at Cary greeting Ansel like a father reuniting with his son after years of separation. Seeing the familiarity and ease with which they communicated the Original felt for his younger brother as he winced at the sight. The North East Atlantic Pack seemed slightly more cordial to the vampires than the Crescent Pack but given that Klaus had offered his aid to them before not to mention the Original Hybrid who connected them both it shouldn't have been too surprising.

Klaus, Hayley, Ansel, Freya and Rebekah had been the only ones who knew about the entire marriage and pack alliance arrangement and remained quiet about it. That is until Rebekah accidentally let it slip out to Katherine who in turn told Elijah. The couple were overheard by Davina and Kol – the former only told Cami while the latter informed the rest of the Abattoir residents and Marcel and Josh – so now it seemed everyone in their inner circles knew about this plan. Ansel and Klaus discussed it with Cary, who was surprisingly accepting and more than willing to step down to second-in-command for Klaus.

Not even a week after their arrival, Cary and his wolves along with Ansel pledged their allegiance to Klaus their new Alpha. The Original Hybrid was pleased with this development, especially the lack of resistance for his ascension and imminent union with Hayley (unlike the Crescents who were apparently feeling threatened and still opposed the idea of unifying themselves with their age old enemies). Since then, the North East Atlantic Pack were welcomed into the Compound and they in turn adjusted to Klaus's leadership. Although now an Alpha he was still below Hayley, she was Queen of the Crescents and no matter his werewolf bloodline his pack was weaker than hers and so he was the secondary Alpha. Not that it bothered him too much, he was still the King of New Orleans after all.

* * *

Everyone knew that Hayley wanted to remain steadfastly stubborn still so – aside from Freya – they stopped approaching her about dealing with Klaus. With it being an oddly quiet and threat-free month the hybrids were in no rush to aligning their packs. Besides, Hayley's conditions were still standing: at least five dates before an engagement and then a wedding. To occupy herself, the female hybrid had spent a lot of time with Hope, rebuilding their relationship, making up for what she missed out on. The mother was overjoyed that her own child now recognized her and always excitedly called her Mama.

Klaus would quietly watch them from a distance with his heart heavy but his lips pulled into a grin at the sight of his future wife and their daughter smiling and laughing. He would overhear Hayley telling Hope stories about her pack, about how she came to New Orleans, and her life story in general. His Littlest Wolf was starting to speak and was a more stable walker now, constantly moving about.

After a month of being her obstinate self (to hide her moping), Hayley decided that she needed to do something – she admired Klaus's persistence that she constantly repelled, but now she thought it was about time for her to approach him and get those dates that she wanted. She recalled moments when she watched members of Klaus's pack with Hope and could not forget the feeling of his touches or the warmth whenever he was close to her. She could not push aside her feelings and they were continuously growing despite her lack of interaction with Klaus. She always smiled at the sight of her future husband and their daughter playing and reading together, causing her heart to squeeze and joyous tears to brim behind her eyes.

* * *

Hayley woke up with a note next to her pillow saying that Davina and Kol took Hope out to the park and Freya wanted time with her niece when they returned so she and Davina could assess Hope's powers and help her keep them under control. The hybrid got out of bed with a smile. She put on a pair of dark navy skinny jeans and a white silk blouse and spent most of her morning cleaning up Hope's room and then decided to go out.

She realised the last few months had been about adjusting and she hadn't had much time for looking after herself. Now she had some free time ergo she shouldn't waste the opportunity to act on her more feminine tendencies. So she got a facial, manicure and pedicure, and changed her hair. Her tresses were long, nearly reaching her waist. She decided to go for something a bit different for once. Now her hair was just past her shoulders and an opulent ombré – the top third of was her natural dark brunette colour, the rest ran down red with hints of dark mahogany weaved into it. Hayley had her hair styled into natural waves before leaving the salon. She spent a couple of hours going in and out of stores, purchasing items with the credit card Klaus gave her. Compulsion probably would have been more convenient but she preferred to save that for supernatural purposes instead of mundane activities. Considering she was in a happier mood and ready to act on her feelings for Klaus (as well discover what that look he kept giving her meant), she strutted into Victoria's Secret and left the store with several bags.

"Woah, someone went on a bit of a spending spree!" Kat cried out when she the mountain of bags that the servants were carrying behind Hayley. "I'm a little hurt you didn't take me with you," She mock pouted.

"I needed some 'me' time so don't feel too offended and some of these are for you. Anyway, I was thinking it's time to get out of my funk, forgive Klaus, and then get everything he promised me." While the impending marriage was no secret only the Mikaelson women and Katherine knew about Hayley's conditions that would lead to their unification.

"The new hair looks brilliant by the way. Now, let's check out what you bought." The two women walked up stairs and began sorting through the numerous bags.

"Wow, you must've spent a fortune. Oh my God, these shoes." Katherine held up the tall, black platform Louboutin heels against her face. "So what's your plan?"

"I was thinking I'd wear slinky lingerie under my Burberry trench along with those heels," Hayley pointed at the shoes Katherine was holding, "Get Klaus's attention and then have things play out the way they will."

Katherine raised an eyebrow, "I thought you said no sex before the wedding?"

Hayley just shrugged. "I changed my mind… or maybe not. I'm not even sure anymore. I just want things to go back to the way it was where we didn't have to worry about anything for once." Katherine hummed and soon after left Hayley to get ready, making her way to her room she shared with Elijah to go through the things bought for her.

The female hybrid picked up the red floral lace bodysuit teddy lingerie, that had a thong bottom, plunge front and an extreme racerback with keyhole cut outs. Hayley slipped it on, fluffed her hair a bit, and touched up her minimal makeup. She put on her mid-length honey-coloured Burberry light trench (it was more a dress than an actual coat) and slipped the newly purchased heels on her feet afterwards spritzing on a little pink Chanel Chance perfume.

* * *

Satisfied with her appearance, Hayley left her room and made her way towards Klaus's. She slowed her pace when she saw that the door was open but with her peripheral vision she caught sight of Cami and Klaus standing closely almost about to kiss... The female hybrid nearly turned tail but her pride was not to be wounded today.

Thankfully it seemed that Klaus's attention was divided anyway, for as Cami's face inched closer to his he looked up and his eyes attached to the vision of the mother of his child a few feet away from him. When Cami saw him turn away she looked towards the doorway too, not surprised but still upset at who was there. For a moment no one moved. Hayley was about to continue forward so she could get to Katherine's room but Klaus vamp sped to her and pulled her into his room, shutting the door behind them. Cami flinched and bolted without any words to either hybrid.

Klaus kept his dark blue eyes on Hayley, taking in the sigh of her stunning long legs in those fuck-me heels; he can only imagine what she was wearing under that trench. He slid his fingers down along the buttons while his other hand stayed on her arm.

Hayley cleared her throat. "Everything alright between you and Cami?"

The elder hybrid stilled his fingers on her buttons. "It seems she is willing to forgive me for her vampire state but she's keen to not accept our upcoming nuptials." Hayley sighed but Klaus continued to speak. "Of course the reason behind that is her own envy which is warranted since I have the most beautiful woman as the mother of my child and hopefully soon she will be my wife and queen."

She smirked, mildly amused and yet comforted. "Aren't you sweet."

Klaus then continued his earlier ministrations with his fingers on her buttons and her arm. Returning her smirk, "So Little Wolf… is this all for me? Has my persistence finally come through?"

His fingers leaving goosebumps without even touching her bare skin, she nearly shivered. "No this is for me," Hayley fingered the buckle. "But… I also decided that I have been angry with you long enough. There's no point when all I can think about is you and your persistence is getting on my nerves. Plus, I think you owe me some dates." She bit her bottom lip.

He smiled and decided he was done talking. Klaus moved forward and pressed his lips against her silken ones. She returned the kiss while reaching for his golden hair. His nimble fingers ran down her body to the buckle of the trench to unfasten it then proceeded slowly to undo the buttons. Klaus opened the front of her dress without breaking their kiss and began roaming his hands all over her body, feeling the lace and her skin underneath. He moved his mouth to press hot kisses along the smooth skin of her neck, his teeth occasionally scraping the flesh. Hayley moaned softly, removing the garment from her shoulders and craning her neck to give Klaus more access as he pulled her closer.

She leaned forward and nibbled on his earlobe causing him to groan out and grip onto her slim waist tighter. As he captured Hayley's lips into a demanding kiss her hands moved to the hem of his shirt, rolling up the fabric while her fingers brushed his warm skin. Klaus refused to separate himself from her body so she torn the shirt right off his torso.

He growled against her lips continuing to kiss her passionately – it was so hot and erotic, Hayley felt herself get wetter. Her hands then furiously worked his jeans and boxers down and her left hand held his glistening cock and pumped him slowly spreading the oozing pre-cum. Klaus's thumb rubbed Hayley's hard nipples through the lace. "Ooh," left Hayley's mouth.

Without waiting any long he picked Hayley up, keeping her steady against the door. He moved her thong to the side and pushed his hard cock into her. Both groaned at the feeling of him being inside of her. Hayley arched her back and grinded against him, keeping her hands on his shoulders while he nipped at her bruised lips. "Move Klaus, please…" He obliged, slowly pumping in and out of her as he kept her lithe body between his and the door.

He began picking up the pace, giving her hard and deep strokes as Hayley shifted her left leg around his waist for deeper penetration. The door began to rattle so Klaus moved and set Hayley on top of a dresser.

"FUCK!" She cried out as his cock continuously hit her g-spot and her arm wrapped his neck, the other gripping the dresser. Klaus groaned and his hand slide between her legs, torn the lace there, and rubbed her clit – he could feel her tightening around him.

"Come for me Little Wolf." He whispered in her ear, triggering her first orgasm and kept thrusting in and out of her through her climax. After she came down from her high, Hayley could feel another orgasm brewing in the pit of her stomach but Klaus pulled out, delaying her.

"Klaus!" He then threw her onto his bed, positioning her on her hands and knees, and penetrated her from behind – pounding harder, faster, and deeper into her warmth. Her hair was a mess, sticking to her red and flustered face but she continued to rock against him, throwing her head back to try to keep the sticky strands out of her eyes.

Hayley purred at the feeling of his hands caressing her smooth, plump ass cheeks. He rammed himself even more furiously into Hayley and yanked two successive orgasms from her. Klaus buried his face into her neck and hair, whispering, "From the moment we met again, I knew you were meant to be all mine." Soon, he could feel himself tightening up. "Come again for me love." She could only pant heavily as he continued to hammer into her.

Klaus then extended his fangs and sank them into her neck drinking her essence as she climaxed. As her walls flexed against him, he expanded and spilt his seeds into her. He moaned as he withdrew his fangs and licked the bite mark.

After a few moments, he pulled out of her slowly causing Hayley to whine at the emptiness before being turned onto her back. His hand combed through her hair before caressing her face. Hayley hummed contently at his soft touch.

"Don't get too comfortable, I'm not done with you yet… It has been quite a while since I have had the pleasure of exploring your body so I intend to take my time." Klaus grinned then kissed her lips as his hands freed her body of the tantalizing lace.

* * *

A few more rounds of sex later, the two hybrids emerged from his bathroom – showered and dressed – with cheeky grins on their faces. The Compound was still alive with chatter from its inhabitants as the dinner hour approached. No one intercepted as Klaus followed Hayley to her bedroom where she swapped the trench for her outfit from earlier. Then she stood in front of the mirror and brushed her tangled tresses.

Klaus approached her while looking over all the bags in her room and inquired, "So how much did you spend today?"

Scoffing as she met him halfway, "It's not like I even made a dent in your bank account."

He nuzzled against her neck and after a few moments she chanced to ask, "What are we Klaus?"

He moved his head up to look into her eyes. "What do you mean, Little Wolf?"

"I mean, where do we stand right now?" Hayley knew it didn't really matter, in fact she could care less, but she needed to know how things would be from now until their wedding. Of course after the ceremony they would be expected to live as a married couple with a baby but at this point... maybe sex wasn't a good idea...

Klaus sighed and held her against his chest. "Nothing has changed. We will raise our daughter together as we always planned, we will have our dates, get engaged, and then have our wedding to unite our packs." He pulled back so he could look into her hazel eyes. "If we must put a label on us, at the moment we are co-parents who are also committed lovers and soon we'll be husband and wife." He said slyly.

Hayley's face instantly brightened up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "I like the sound of that..."

* * *

Aurora walked the length of the room while her brother sat at the bar watching her pace and plot. The woman abruptly pushed over a glass vase in frustration. He only quirked an eyebrow at the broken glass on the floor.

Another moment passed and then Tristan queried, "What is on your mind dearest?" He picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

"I must get rid of that porcelain bitch." His darling sister released a sharp breathe. "Hayley's the only woman hindering me from getting to Niklaus. Cami has been taken care of, but the werewolf whore is still at his side."

Tristan pursed his lips, preparing to response when another person interrupted. "I can help with that." The siblings turned their heads to face a scowling Cami O'Connell.

The petite red head perked at the baby vampire's presence. "Now, this is interesting." Aurora looking at Cami with great curiosity. She took a seat beside her brother, commandeering his glass of wine without shifting her gaze from the blonde.

Tristan looked at the newly turned vampire carefully. He had an inkling of her purpose to seek out the de Martel siblings, but he was nonetheless intrigued by her arrival. "Camille, what brings you to the St. James Infirmary? I would have thought your charming Rousseau's was a more convenient establishment for you."

"I want in on your plans. I want to help get Hayley away from Klaus."

Aurora was surprised at Cami's confession. Asking with a condescending air, "And your desires are concerned with us – how?"

"Well we want the same thing don't we? To get rid of Hayley," The bartender took a few steps forward, "You know what they say, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'"

"That's all...?" The Lady de Martel fired back, all the while smirking mischievously. "Don't try and hide it, darling. You want Niklaus for yourself."

Cami would have retorted with the same implication, but that impish face of Aurora's seemed to be daring her to do it. "Hayley did the worse thing possible to him and yet Klaus forgave her as easily as he would rip out his enemy's heart. I have always stood by him, believed he could be good, I stayed in New Orleans for him, and took care of his daughter, loved her like she was my own. It was always me he put first, Klaus even put aside his own siblings for me, but when Hayley's back I apparently don't matter anymore at all."

The red-head starting chuckling, "The brash convictions of a woman scorned. Cami, you are only the latest of conquests that Niklaus tossed aside when he was done. What I find almost as amusing is that I thought you were his special little human snowflake who could do no wrong or even think harm unto anyone."

Crossing her arms over her chest, "Well thanks to you and him I'm not human anymore, am I?"

Tristan then spoke up, "A favor to you indeed. To be a human is such a frailty especially if one is to live immersed among the supernatural as you so insist upon doing – immortality is the best bet for keeping oneself alive."

In her mind she thought about her life before Hayley's curse was broken and she wolf came storming back into their lives. It was blissful and everything she wanted in life and Cami believed that Klaus felt the same way. This time around things would be even better because she would be there forever. "There are perks..." Cami admitted aloud.

"Becoming almost an equal to Niklaus and having the chance for eternity with him is just a few of those perks, no doubt." The blonde shifted but said nothing.

"Hmmm…" Aurora rubbed her chin and thought for a bit. She looked into her brother's eyes that mirrored hers and a decision seemed to pass between them. Tristan filled another glass with wine as Aurora stood with theirs. She handed the new glass to the younger vampire. "I suppose your aid could be beneficial to us." Raising her shared glass, "So here's to an alliance between two scorned women."

Cami sighed with relief and clinked glasses with her new ally before taking a small sip of fermented grape. "So what is the plan? The sooner Hayley is out of the picture, the better."

"Ahh," Aurora shook her head, "Not so fast, we need you to tell us what the Mikaelsons themselves are planning."

"Fine. But killing Hayley would derail one of their plans-"

"Killing?" Tristan interrupted, "I had not thought that such a striking beauty's death was what we were aiming to achieve. Hayley Marshall herself could be of great use to us as well."

His sister came to that thought too, but she wasn't sure how it could be arranged. "Tristan beloved brother, the matter of whether to keep Hayley alive or dead can be decided later. For now," Turning back to Cami, "I need our little helper here to speak. What do you know, Camille?"

She raised her chin in a show of bravery in front of the vampire siblings and without further hesitation revealed the information she had.

* * *

Ooh! What a twist with Cami huh? Gone to the dark side hasn't she? We're going to go through another time jump soon, but this is only a small short jump.

Please leave your reviews :) I love reading them!

xoxo Caz


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you to my awesome editor again AryaTimodel :)

* * *

Chapter Eight

 _Six Months Later_

Hayley smiled as she brushed the bangs off her sweaty forehead. "Well… you really pulled out all the stops with this last date."

Klaus grinned while looking at the ceiling. He drew her into his embrace where she laid her head on his chest and rested her hand over his heart. He ran his hands down Hayley's back, enjoying the silken feeling of her skin. "I do pride myself on such a notion, love and don't sound so wistful, this shall not be the last of memorable evenings for us... or splendid trips around the world."

"Right Klaus Mikaelson promising a girl that he can show her the world, not like that hasn't been done before." She let out a mock scoff.

"Always one to call me out on my charms aren't you, Little Wolf?" He nuzzled his nose into her hair and pressed a kiss on the crown of her head. "Although the difference here is the girl is just as interested in being with me as she is in getting to travel the world at no expense." Said girl only hummed and snuggled closer in response. "Now tell me, if you had to pick a date which one was your favourite? I mean all of them went according to plan and finished off with incredible love-making, so take your time determining the best of them."

Seriously considering his inquiry, she started to draw random patterns across his chest. "They all were pretty amazing, but the third one – the week long getaway to Paris with Hope – was... everything I wanted. The luxury hotel suite with the spectacular view, the food, the sites, and the fact that I've never seen Hope have so much fun."

"I still can't believe we nearly lost Hope in the Saint Laurent shop, while you were buying those ridiculously priced shoes."

Hayley rolled onto her stomach on top of Klaus and looked at him with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Those shoes are amazing and you were the one who said I could buy whatever I wanted, not that you've ever given me any shopping restrictions before. Anyway losing Hope was on you."

That was true. Hayley had made it clear her focus was getting yet another pair of shoes (no wonder she and Katherine could still get along) and so he was tasked with keeping an eye on their daughter. Things were fine as he perused some clothes and suits for himself but Klaus made the mistake of glancing over to Hayley and got an excellent look at her ass in those tight, maroon leather pants as she bent over to try on shoes. His grip on Hope had gone slack and the toddler let go of her father's hand and ran off. Thankfully she hadn't gone far. Her parents found her hiding amongst a rack of clothes in the children's section of the shop. Hope even had an outfit pressed against her front and had looked at them for approval, which she received along with the actual clothes set (Auntie Bex was so proud when she heard the story).

"Nonetheless, being with you and Hope are some of my most memorable times," he said quietly.

Hayley bent down and kissed his lush lips. "You're the one who told me that the real moments are vibrant." She felt his lips curl at that reminder. "It's fair to say we make a pretty good team, don't we? I never thought I would say this, especially to you, but I can't wait for our future once we are married."

Klaus looked at her with an intense gaze with millions of thoughts passing through his mind. Even with the chaos in his head he found clarity and was quick to voice it. "I have found peace and comfort with you Hayley – one that I have been searching for centuries, something that I never thought I would ever find. I, for one, am grateful to have you in my life." The back of his left hand caressed the side of her face before cupping her cheek in his palm.

Hayley turned her face and kissed his palm, having never felt such intimacy before – never this strong, especially not with Elijah or Jackson. "Thank you for giving everything I've ever wanted."

He thanked her in kind for the same reason and then whispered, "You know tonight's date was quite exceptional for a reason." At the moment Hayley watched as he held out a small, turquoise blue box toward her. She froze, immobile with anticipation as Klaus opened the box and revealed the stunning ring cushioned in velvet. Hayley was actually surprised; she didn't foresee such a prompt proposal right after date number five. However, she should have expected that Klaus would be impatient and do the unexpected. "Hayley Marshall – Alpha and Queen of the Crescent wolves, mother of my daughter, and the only other of my kind – will you marry me not just for our packs, but for ourselves?

Her answer was immediate, without hesitation and accompanied by a kiss, "Yes!"

Klaus then slipped the ring onto her finger and kiss her knuckles. Hayley held up her left hand and took a moment to observe her new accessory. The thin band was of platinum metal with diamonds encircled all around it, the large central gem was a pear-shaped iridescent sparkling white diamond surround by bead-set diamonds.

Hayley then settled her hands on his shoulders and bent down to meet his lips into a hot kiss. Klaus gripped her tight and groaned into the kiss as she nibbled on his bottom lip. He thrust his tongue into her inviting mouth as their tongues fought for dominance and rolled his lover over onto her back.

Hayley was about to run her hands down the taut muscles of his back but Klaus quickly caught her hands and held them above head. His fingers interlaced with hers as he peppered kisses down her body, nipping at her hip bone causing a groan to escape the younger hybrid's mouth as his trailed down to her core.

"Klaus…" she whimpered and Klaus looked up at the sight of his Little Wolf squirming under him as he took a slow but long lick of her slit, making Hayley arch her back in pleasure. He continued to eat her hungrily, quietly groaning in delight at the sweet taste of her nectar. He thrust his tongue deep into her, Hayley was quietly begging to come, but Klaus refused to let her just yet. He kissed his way up to her lips allowing Hayley to taste herself from his warm lips. They were kissing each other hard and passionately till their lungs needed more air. He pulled his lips off her, but kept his eye on the stunning hybrid under him as he coated himself in her juices, causing friction between her clit and his penis.

"Please Klaus! I need you…" Hayley quietly begged, but he kept teasing her. He bent down and took bit gently on her earlobe.

"You're so wet Little Wolf. Ask me again…" He commanded huskily.

Instead she shifted and took him into her triggering her pending orgasm. Their hands gripped onto each other's tightly as Klaus thrusted furiously and deeply into her. Hayley was in heaven as this was more than just sex between the two lovers, but it was actually love-making full of passion and intimacy. Hayley's walls were tightening around his tumescent member.

"Come for me, darling. Scream my name." He breathed into her ear and kissed down to the nape of her neck. He watched as her eyes filled lust and her fangs extended and sank into his neck drinking his essence as she came and her walls clamped around him tightly. She pulled her fangs out of his neck and licked the spot she had just pierced. He continued to thrust through her orgasm and Hayley could feel his member enlarging and leaned up to meet his lips.

"Let go Klaus." She mumbled against his lips. Klaus elongated his fangs and pierced Hayley's neck as he came and spilt his seeds into her womb as he drank her delicious blood, triggering another orgasm from Hayley. He slowly pulled out of Hayley's sensitive pussy and rolled them back onto his back as they fell into a deep, sated slumber.

* * *

Hayley had spent her morning on the second floor of the Compound moving her things into Klaus's room, tending to Hope, and contemplating when her daughter should move out of the nursery. Surprisingly, the house was empty throughout the day, even the Mikaelson women opted to go out instead of staying home. Apparently it would just be Hope and Hayley at the Abattoir until dinner.

When it was mid-afternoon Hope was put down for her nap and the female hybrid moved to the kitchen and the next several hours preparing dinner kept her occupied. The kitchen staff was a great help the cooking and cleaning, especially since it wasn't just the Mikaelsons and their friends at the table these days but also Klaus's pack. The servants inquired her about the number of table settings, which wine to serve, and such when the foods were in the ovens. Once all these details were taken care of, Hayley moved onto dessert.

In the back of her mind, she found it quite odd that no one has commented on her newly jewelled finger, but perhaps they are simply being polite and keeping their thoughts to themselves, unless Klaus compelled the servants to not notice. Hope had certainly noticed and spent a good few minutes shifting Hayley's left hand in the sun, captivated by the ring's brilliance.

It was early evening when the Original Hybrid strode into the kitchen and took in the sight of his fiancée singing as she looked to be filling little pastries and Hope in her high chair eating pieces of fruit.

Hayley, oblivious to his presence, felt arms wrap around her waist pulling her out of her world and looked over to see Klaus smiling behind her.

"Klaus, what are you doing home so early?" She continued to fill the choux pastries with chocolate and vanilla creams.

"I thought I'd come home and spend some time with our Littlest Wolf, but she looks like she prefers her fruit more than me." He pointed at his daughter happily humming as she ate a piece of pineapple.

Hayley laughed and gave Klaus a quick peck on the lips, after which he walked over to pick up his daughter.

"Daddy!" She cried out with her arms stretched toward him when she saw her father. He smiled and smothered his giggling daughter in kisses.

He sat on the stool playing with Hope as Hayley assembled her finished cream-filled choux pastries that were dipped in dark chocolate ganache into a tower. She decorated the tower with halved strawberries and sugar string, then put her edible construction into the fridge.

Klaus inquired, "Need any help with anything, sweetheart?"

"No everything's done and in order – dinner, desserts, table setting, wine..." Hayley's heightening ears picked up the sound of the front door. "I hear people entering the house." She sang as she tickled Hope and kissed her button nose.

After giving the servants last minute instructions on serving the food, the family made their way to the dining room.

* * *

Rebekah was first to walk into the dining room and see her older brother putting Hope into her high chair and Hayley pouring herself a glass of wine.

Over the past three months she noticed that Nik and Hayley were deliriously happy – and for once, there was no trouble directly before them. However, she had her suspicions that it would last much longer. The arrival of the de Martels with their Strix, offering an offensive warning and their subsequent shift to laying low for half a year did not bode well.

Freya then walked in with Lucien beside her, both with grim smiles on their faces.

The eldest Mikaelson then disclosed the source of her anxiety and Rebekah could only scoff and bid that they save discussions of alliances and warfare for after dinner. A smile easily spreading across her face as she walks over to greet her darling little niece.

As the other residents of the Compound were filing in Hayley was sipping her wine to settle her nervousness over the reaction from the official announcement of her engagement. She was standing at the head of the table with her arms around her body looking at the food spread instead of everyone's faces. According to Rebekah she was being strangely quiet as well (Hayley actually is surprised that the blonde hasn't noticed her ring, but then again the hybrid has been keeping it covered by her sleeve).

Klaus finished speaking with Cary and Ansel as he saw Hayley bite the corner of her bottom lip, a habit that she does when she's nervous. He walked over her and put his hands on her forearm. "Little Wolf, everything will be fine. Trust me."

"I know, but remember what happened the last time I got engaged?"

Klaus sighed and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin against her head. "That was my fault, but this is different now."

Over his shoulder, Hayley spied Kol about to reach for a piece of potato and she quickly pulled away from Klaus to slap Kol's hand.

"Ouch! Hayley!" He whined.

"No touching till everyone's settled." Hayley gave him a glare and Klaus just chuckled wrapping his arm around her waist.

The wildest Mikaelson did not have to wait very long for though, in less than five minutes, places were taken, glasses and plates filled, and conversation flowed.

At the traditional intermediate of the meal Klaus spoke, "Can I have everyone's attention please?" The table was prompt to accept his request. "We have an announcement to make." He looked at Hayley who gave him a firm nod. "I have asked Hayley to become my wife not just for the sake of our wolf packs, but also for each other."

It was deadly silent – the continual echo of no sound whatsoever was making Hayley uncomfortable. Klaus seemed rather perturbed there was no immediate reaction, the next thing to happen made up for this though.

Rebekah and Katherine stood up and shouted, "FINALLY!" The two literally ran over to Hayley and pulled her out of Klaus's grasp and gave her tight hugs – so hard that Hayley was struggling to breath.

Slowly, everyone gave their congratulations and support, bringing ease to Hayley.

Kol being Kol, of course, just had to make an offhand remark. "So," directing his brown gaze onto Lucien, Marcel, and Stefan, who sat across from him, "It seems the sons of Nik are finally getting a mum."

Stefan had that look on his face that was a cross between puzzled and embarrassed, Marcel was amused, and Lucien's feature just glowed with mischievous mirth. Casting a smirk to Kol, he then raised his wine glass toward the toddler at the table, "I do hope that the young tribrid is willing to share her exquisite mother."

Hope looked at newest quasi-resident of her home with her wide blue eyes and sneer her daddy must be proud of. The next thing Lucien knew, the contents of his glass splattered all over his face. At this, Klaus and his Littlest Wolf (who caused the incident herself) burst into laughter followed by the rest of the table, even Lucien himself.

* * *

The night was a momentous occasion, especially for one Klaus Mikaelson. He was standing on the balcony upstairs overlooking his city's night skyline as Hayley put Hope to sleep. Soon he was joined by Kol, Elijah, and Marcel.

"Any news on Aurora and Tristan?" Klaus turned around and faced the men in front of him.

Elijah pursed his lips and answered, "Nothing yet – however Freya and I have asked Lucien to see if he can gather any information. The de Martels don't know of his alliance with us and they trust him. It is also known that Camille has turned to them for guidance of some sort or another."

Klaus paused halfway of drinking his scotch when he heard Cami's name. His heart sank, that Cami would ever betray him, but he shook his head – he had to think about Hayley.

He thought back to when they finally discussed Cami and Klaus's unresolved feelings for her, as well as that day when Hayley surprised them in Klaus's room. It was a heated argument – Klaus was flinging hurtful statements and Hayley was throwing emotions at him, making Klaus feel guilty AGAIN for what he had done. It was in the middle of their second date, he had surprised her with a trip to L.A. for just the two of them, Hope would be looked after by her aunts and uncles. A weekend stay at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills in the Grand Garden Terrance Suite where Klaus showed off his mastery of culinary arts and his flair for romance.

Their first night's dinner went as pleasant as they hoped until Hayley brought up the one thing that had been on the thorn in her mind since they had officially got together. Cami was a sore topic for Klaus but if they were going to be 100% committed to their relationship, they needed to clear everything up, including unresolved feelings.

Hayley strongly assured him that Jackson and any feelings that she had for Elijah were gone, however when Klaus talked about Cami, he was unsure and that was how the fight began. When Hayley made the implication that her life would have been better had she never met Klaus, his temper reached a boiling point – his eyes turned yellow and he threw Hayley against a wall. His heavy breathing, the friction of their bodies against the wall and fight shifted into hot and heavy sex, just like most nights, but that night reminded the both of them that they needed to communicate better if they were to make the marriage and pack alliance work.

Klaus was brought out of the past by Hayley, Katherine, and Rebekah joining their group It seems the three had been listening to the previous conversation if their next comments were proof.

"Why does Lucien even stay here anyway when he has his gaudy penthouse to cavort around in?"

Katherine huffed at Rebekah's question. "He's probably here just to find out information about us and reports back to Aurora."

Elijah smiled and his hand on his lover's shoulder, "Sister, My Katerina dearest worry not for now Lucien is our ally, not our guest nor friend. Freya has him under control and if he steps out of line... he'll be punished for it."

Speaking of which, Freya's distressing appearance alarmed the group. Nearly breathless she revealed, "Aya is back and she's not alone."

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter :) Sorry for the irregular updates - university is in the way of both my and my editor's life. Two more chapters before we hit the halfway mark! There's a couple twists coming up and there will be some action between the Mikaelsons, de Martels and the lot! Prepare for some betrayal and maybe deaths ;)

xoxo Caz :)


	9. Chapter 9

Edited by amazing beta again - AryaTimodel :) x

* * *

Chapter Nine

It's been three weeks since the bombshell about Aya hit New Orleans. Klaus spent a lot of his time away from his siblings, locked up in the bedroom painting or bonding with Hope. Hayley was getting worried about Klaus's lack of plans to retaliate leaving his brothers and sisters to devising the plans.

She walked into the bedroom quietly, locking the door behind her and saw Klaus standing in front of his canvas painting a portrait of her. She approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Is this how you see me?" She asked quietly.

Klaus glanced at his Little Wolf and kissed her temple. "What? As a strong, beautiful and sexy hybrid?" He smirked.

Hayley sighed and her hands roamed across his chest, feeling his pecs. "Klaus, I'm really worried about you. Since we found about Aya bringing an influx of Strix members to town you haven't done anything. It's unlike you."

Klaus sighed and put his brush down in the can of water. He held onto one of Hayley's arm and pulled her towards the bed. He sat down pulling his fiancee down onto his lap. "You don't have to worry about me. I need you to worry about protecting Hope when our enemies come down on us."

"What about you?" Hayley wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands rested on her hips.

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure you and Hope are safe. As our family will do everything they can to make sure we are all safe."

A minute of silence passed, before Hayley spoke. "I just have a bad feeling that something is going to happen. I'm not sure what, but with Tristan and Aurora all quiet and the Strix having not attacked yet, there is something brewing."

"I agree with you, love. Paranoia may be my default setting as Elijah puts it, but our family have good reason to be. Especially when friends can so easily become foes." Hayley sighed looking at Klaus's daunting eyes – she was the only one who could read and understand Klaus so easily. The elder hybrid brought his hand up and caressed her cheek. "Sweetheart, you just need to worry about the wedding plans. You deserve to have the wedding of your dreams."

Hayley smiled softly and bent down to kiss his lips gently. "I love you."

"As I love you."

* * *

Freya, Elijah, and Kol were gathered in the library putting together all they knew of their knowledge of the Strix and its members, along with what they would do to ensure no harm fell upon them all. It was difficult considering Elijah had no contact with elder group of sirelings for decades. Accompanied with the fact that they have done virtually nothing but invade New Orleans and made it their current home base.

"Is this a usual Strix tactic. Announcing their arrival, put out a threat in disguise as a warning, and then.. do nothing..?"

Elijah turned to answer his eldest sibling, "The Strix enjoy anything that shows their superiority over all others. This silent treatment was meant to be put us at our wit's end, make us all as paranoid as Niklaus usually is, break us by unsettling our foundation, so that when they make their move we will be at our most vulnerable."

Rebekah then stormed in."I have news!" The three siblings looked at their sister with curiosity. "So Marcel's distance from us this past week, turns out that he was approached by Aya to join the Strix. He's now an official member which is an opportunity for us find out more information–"

"This isn't the first time Marcel has betrayed us for his own gain, can we trust him?" Kol interrupted.

Rebekah shot him a deadly glare. "Of course we can! He swore to me that he wouldn't betray us ever again, you bloody prick."

Elijah intervened to avoid the argument, "Rebekah, continue please."

"Right. Marcel has learned so far that he wasn't the first vampire outside of Elijah's sire-line to join the Strix. They're recruiting any vampire who has designs against the Mikaelsons." They want to break the Originals' sire-lines, unlink their lives from being attached to ours." There was only shell-shocked silence.

"Bloody hell! " Kol said angrily.

Elijah looked at Freya, lost for words – this was a bigger problem than they realised.

"What do we do?" Rebekah groaned and in that moment Stefan walked in smiling but immediately his smile dropped seeing his friends solemn looking faces. Katherine, who was right behind him, nearly collided with his back. She made no comment on the tense atmosphere, only going to stand next to her beloved.

Stefan went and sat down beside Rebekah. "Did we interrupt something?"

Elijah finally spoke. "We received some disturbing news – it seems that our enemies are planning to break the vampire sirelines, ensuring their survival if ever their Original sires perish."

Freya then, seemingly by random, recalled an old conversation in her mind. She quickly raced over to the table where her things were. Everyone watched her silently as she began adding things into a bowl, after which she pricked her finger, allowing a couple drops of her blood to spill into the bowl. She began chanting and soon saw some disturbing visions. She couldn't hear any words, but she could see clearly what she had been suspicious of for quite some time. When all she could see was the darkness behind her eyelids the blonde ended the spell.

"Camille isn't the only one who betrayed us... Davina is working with the de Martels and the Strix," Freya told them hoarsely.

Everyone in the room was shocked but Kol was furious. "That's absolute bullshit! Davina would never do that."

"It's true, Kol! I saw her with them." Freya looked at her youngest brother sympathetically.

Kol refused to believe it and was about to storm out of the library before Elijah stopped him so that they sister could explain accusation.

"How do you know this Freya?"

"I used a simpler version of Dahlia's Kenning spell on Lucien. I activated the link and while I couldn't hear anything, I could clearly see through his eyes. I saw Tristan and Aurora with Aya, Camille... and Davina too."

Shaking his head and making his way toward the door, "I need to talk to Davina. She wouldn't do this," Kol was then stopped by his younger sister.

"Kol!" Rebekah stood up and walked over to her brother, "She wouldn't do this to you.. but she would do it to Nik. She's not too fond of us and of course she hates Nik… there is no secret about that, even if they've been somewhat civil for the past year for your sake."

"Rebekah is right." Freya sighed as she stood up, "Nonetheless, all of us need to act like everything is normal or Davina will know that we've discovered and we can't raise suspicion. Plus this an advantage that we have, the Strix don't know that we know about Davina."

"So what then are we going to do? Nik hasn't been sodding helpful." Kol grumbled, sitting on the closest chair looking disheveled, still in denial that Davina would betray his family.

Over the next few hours, everyone in the room began planning step by step on how to stop their enemies from trying to break the sirelines, while ensuring the protection of the youngest member of their family. Klaus and Hayley were still not seen in the public areas of the Compound as of that evening, but occasionally Rebekah would use her vampire hearing to check if everything was alright, and let's just say… she will never interrupt their private time together again.

Katherine looked toward the Mikaelson sisters, voicing her worrisome question so that they could have some certainty. "Are you two absolutely sure we can trust Lucien and Marcel to not betray us? We don't need this right now and Klaus and Hayley certainly do not need it either."

"What don't we need?" Klaus walked into the room holding Hayley's hand.

"We have some disturbing news, Brother. We've learned what the Strix is planning." Klaus released Hayley's hand and went to pour himself a scotch. Elijah immediately informed Hayley and Klaus of everything they now knew including Marcel's new Strix membership and the betrayal of Davina.

"This is an outrage!" Klaus roared causing Hayley to flinch. "You're telling me that not only Camille but Davina has betrayed us to help our enemies?"

"Yes," Freya said resolutely.

"How can I protect Hope and the rest of our family when our enemies are getting stronger by the day, taking all of our allies as their own?" Klaus ran his hand through his hair and walked over to the side bar to pour himself another glass of scotch.

Elijah walked up behind him and rested a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You are not alone, Brother. You have us. We are the Original family, we remain together and fight for one another, no matter who the enemy is."

Hayley once again realised that nothing will ever be peaceful for her family. It was enemy after enemy, nightmare after nightmare… more deaths, more blood and the never-ending fear for her child. She rubbed her forehead in frustration. While she couldn't care less about Cami's betrayal, it hit her hard that Davina had chosen to oppose them.

Kol felt the same hurt and when he noticed Hayley's glassy eyes the Original went to his soon-to-be sister-in-law and partially embraced her

"I can't believe that Davina would do this to us." Hayley sniffled leaning against Kol's side.

"Neither can I, Hayley."

The hurt was then shifting to anger. The young hybrid broke from Kol and nearly stomped to the kitchen where she would take on her nonviolent form of therapy – cooking. Opening the fridge and perusing its contents, she was able to push the burning betrayal of who she thought were her friends to the dark corners of her mind.

She got all the ingredients she needed to make Cubano sandwiches and had chicken to make chicken schnitzel. She was left in her own world for now willing her heart to follow her brain into numbing neutrality.

Klaus on the other hand was choosing to remain furious. He knew that he should never have trusted Davina in the first place, but everyone kept telling him that she was their ally, that she would never hurt any of them. He saw how devastated his brother and Hayley were when Kol was comforting her, feeding his rage even more and causing him to voice her tempestuous thoughts.

"I knew we couldn't trust Davina. You lot pushed me to accept her, assuring that she could help us defend against our enemies, that she wouldn't betray us and yet I was the one proven right! Now we've lost two of our allies and potentially more if Lucien is truly working with Aurora and Tristan and if they sway Marcel. If our so called loved ones can so easily turned against us how can we trust any of them?" Klaus shot a mocking smile toward the ones in the room with no blood relation to him. "Stefan, Katerina, feeling a bit treacherous these days? Better to expose yourselves now rather than later."

Stefan could only sit shocked at the direct allegation. Katherine narrowed her dark, feline eyes, "You know I would be offended if anyone else but you asked."

"Niklaus be reasonable-"

"Oh, I am Elijah, since Camille and Davina swore their love and devotion as easily and effortlessly as crushing it why wouldn't any others who are not one of us do the same?"

Stefan then spoke up for himself, "Klaus, I am on your side because it's the right side to be on, okay? I have no interest in the Strix or seeing innocent people get hurt."

Rebekah inputted, "Which we can all be assured that all our currents allies will do the same. Enough of this scouring for enemies where there are none, Nik. Freya and Kol will be putting extra protective spells on yours and Hope's rooms while Marcel is sending his vampires to protect the outside of the Compound, we'll make our home a fortress. No one is going to get to Hope or Hayley or any of us for that matter."

Klaus sighed heavily, seeing that his siblings had things under control... for now. "The wedding will still take place next week. After which we will deal with these self righteous sirelings and traitors who dared cross the Mikaelsons."

There was silence in the Compound, all they could hear was the sound of Hayley hammering a meat mallet on pieces of chicken breasts

* * *

Ooh! We're getting the climax of the story! This story was a little filler/warm up to the big event! Yes! The Wedding is the next chapter in honor of making 10 chapters! Still most likely only writing 20 chapters! Thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with this fic! I know I haven't finished it and it's been a really long time since I last updated, but please be patient and ye shall receive :) hehe.

Thank you to everyone who has commented/followed & favourited my story! It means so much to me!

xoxo Caz

xoxo Caz


	10. Chapter 10

The chapter that you have been waiting for is here! Much love to my beta AryaTimodel as always :) xox

* * *

Chapter Ten

The big day had finally arrived. There was an unsettling sense of peace between the witches, werewolves, and vampires of New Orleans. The Mikaelsons were ever alert for every strike made by the Strix or any of their other enemies. The pain Kol and Hayley bore by Davina's betrayal worsened as Lucien revealed more about her plans with the de Martels and the Strix. Klaus initially felt conflicted when he found out that Camille had betrayed him – she was his therapist (not to mention his sort of ex-girlfriend and his daughter's former caretaker), he had confided in her about his demons and fears, let her into his and Hope's life, all she knew Camille could use to her advantage against them. He couldn't help but blame himself for everything that happened to her, but Hayley and his siblings reassured him that she made her decisions and he did nothing wrong but try to keep her out of their problems. Now, Klaus was just angry that someone whom he once considered building a life with had crossed him. With Hayley, he knew he could talk to her about anything and vice versa without any judgments or fear of one leaving the other. The problem was that others knew this as well as he did and – loathe as he was to contemplate this – they would use this knowledge against him.

* * *

"So, are you excited or nervous?" Katherine asked Hayley as they were getting ready for the ceremony.

Hayley had asked Rebekah, Freya and Katherine to be her bridesmaids and share to the maid of honour duties while Klaus asked his brothers and Marcel to be part of the groom's party (Marcel had proven his loyalty to the Mikaelsons when he single-handedly defended Hayley and Hope one night from a Strix attack, and that ended with him being cut off from their organization, in addition to being branded as one of their main enemies). The bachelor and bachelorette parties were spent drinking and partying the night away (sans any sort of traditional debauchery as no one wanted any jealousy fits amidst the family so close to the wedding day).

The bride answered, "Excited, I finally feel like I'm in a really good place. Even though the whole idea of marriage came up with Ansel and for the sake Hope's protection, we are really getting married because we love each other."

"Honestly, Hayley, I've known Nik all my life and I have never seen him so content and happy with anyone. You and Hope have truly changed him." Rebekah smirked warmly.

"Thanks, Rebekah, oh, how's it looking downstairs? The wedding planners have all the decorations in order?" Hayley had a love for spring and flowers – she loved colours, the scents, and the tranquility they radiated – so when she was planning the wedding she essentially demanded that numerous flowers were a must. Although she had married Jackson at Klaus's house, this time she was getting married in their family home.

"It looks amazing Hayley! Wait till you see the garden, you'll love it and there is no sight of rain." Freya smiled as she re-entered the room holding Hope on her hip.

"Aww, and how is my little Princess?" Hope was sat onto Hayley's lap, the toddler already dressed in an adorable Ralph Lauren floral, velvet-tulle sleeveless dress with a miniature pair of gold flats and her hair braided into a top knot.

"Mummy, party today?"

"Yes! Big party today with lots of people. You look so pretty Hope."

Hope giggled, "Thank you, Mummy, you pretty too."

"Now how about you go and play so Mummy and your aunts can finish getting ready for the party?"

"Okay!" Hope jumped off her mother's lap and walked over to her pile of toys playing quietly.

Once hair and makeup were done, the dresses, shoes, jewelry, and flowers were just the final touches left. When the bridesmaids were ready – in floral printed bandeau mesh midi dresses with sweetheart necklines, nude strappy stiletto heels, gold jewelry, and their hair loosely curled – they opted to help the bride finish her preparation themselves. Rebekah nearly lunged to get to Hayley's dress first. She and her fellow bridesmaids got Hayley into her dress (one that the bridal party had to travel to Australia, where it was made, for to do final fittings before bringing it back home), veil, and heels as a compelled photographer entered the room to take candid pre-wedding photos.

Hayley's hair was curled into beach waves with a loose crown braid, her dress was made of ivory coloured lace, contoured with a straight boat neck, daring low back, the sleeves three-quarter length and the skirt going down to the floor. Placed at the crown of her head was a 2.8cm (9.18ft) long Italian tulle veil. Her shoes were a pair of open-toe stiletto heel with ankle and cross-over straps. Silver and diamond jewels decorated her form sparingly and yet were a brilliant touch. Hayley's bridesmaids stepped back to observe their work and could only stare for a few moments.

"Oh, my…" Rebekah gasped.

"Hayley, you look stunning." Freya smiled.

Katherine added with a teasing grin, "If it weren't your wedding to Klaus, I'd be jealous."

"Nik is going to have a heart attack when he sees you," Rebekah squealed excitedly. Then her smile softened and her eyes became serious, "You know the last time we did this, me giving you a wedding dress, I told you something that still stands. Hayley, you're one of us, you're still one of us, and you always will be. Now today you are officially becoming a Mikaelson." The future sisters-in-law smiled and shared and embrace before the flowers were passed out between the women and Hope, then the photographer then took formal photos before Ansel knocked on the door and entered in his ceremonial clothing.

"All of you look wonderful," Ansel complimented the bridesmaids as Hope ran over to her grandfather with her arms out for a hug.

The elder werewolf held the young girl against his chest. "And you look so beautiful Hope. Are you happy to see your mummy and daddy get married?"

"Yay!" She shouted.

Ansel put down his excited granddaughter down and took a few steps towards his future daughter-in-law. "Hayley… you look magnificent."

"Thank you, Ansel," Hayley said shyly.

"I'd like a quick word with the bride if you ladies don't mind."

Rebekah smiled at her brother's father as she ushered everyone from the room. "Of course, but hurry you're the one officiating the ceremony, after all, Ansel."

"And I cannot tell you how honoured I am to be doing so," Ansel said with gratitude to Hayley. "And to have you as part of my family."

"Thank you for everything you've done for us Ansel. I know you and Klaus didn't have the best relationship but to see you two getting along so well now makes me so happy." Hayley said quietly.

"I've had many regrets in my life, but to be given yet another chance to be with my son and being allowed to be part of his life and to see the two of you getting married for love rather than for the sake of your packs, these are all such blessings I am completely thankful for."

"Me too, thank you, Father." She tested out the foreign word. Ansel looked at her with a huge smile before kissing her forehead and leaving to take his place.

* * *

The whole celebration was being patrolled by vampires and werewolves, along with the protection spell cast by Freya and Vincent with assistance from Kol. The Abattoir was beautifully decorated with twinkling lights, ribbons and bows, elegant drapery, candles, and, of course, Hayley's desired multitude of flowers.

With all the guests (including the unexpected ones) in their seats, Ansel, the groom and his party, and the bridesmaids in place, they only had to await the lady of the hour. The violins started the wedding march tune and everyone stood up, turning toward the doors to watch the bride as she walked down the flower petal covered aisle.

As she made her way to the altar, Hayley glanced around the room. She saw that the North East Atlantic Pack and Crescent Pack wolves chose to sit on opposite sides (she would have been bothered by this but they didn't seem to be segregating because of any ill feelings), Vincent was even in attendance standing in the corner near Josh and Stefan. The bride offered a smile to the two vampires and to Cary once she passed him, after offering looks to the groom's party, her bridesmaids, and Hope – who stood between her two aunts, holding Freya's hand – she locked eyes with her husband-to-be.

Klaus was frozen – it felt like he and Hayley were the only two people in the world. He was in awe of how utterly breathtaking his bride looked. For the centuries that he'd lived he had seen and been with many beautiful women, but Hayley was at another level. He thought the dress suited her wonderfully, and the wedding planners had done a fantastic job setting up the venue. He knew Rebekah and Katherine had driven them insane with their obsession to make this wedding absolutely perfect. He shared a smile with his father and groomsmen, winked at his daughter then offered his hand to Hayley.

Hayley took Klaus's waiting hand and gave her bouquet to Rebekah.

Ansel then asked all the guests to be seated and began the ceremony. "Today there will be no dearly beloved, no betrothed, and no ancient rhyme of the married. Today there are no dead languages to solemnize vows that are very much alive and will remain so for a lifetime. Today promises become permanent and friends become family. This day is not about the words spoken or the rings exchanged, nor is it about grand pronouncements and recessional marches. This day – the day of Andrea Labonair and Niklaus Mikaelson's wedding and unification – is about love.

"I once read that, 'If love is not all, then it is nothing: this principle, and its opposite, collide down all the years of my breathless tale.' Andrea and Niklaus, your breathless tale is about to begin. If love is not all, then it is nothing. Its opposite – If love is all, then it is everything – is going to be the basis for every aspect of your relationship. All you have to do is simply love each other and that love shows through in everything you do for each other and how you treat each other, in good times and bad times.

"Love isn't just a word; it's an action. Love isn't just something you say, it's something you do. Love is genuine, honest, and open, compassionate and kind, passionate and blind, love doesn't know space or time, nor look through jealous eyes. Love never dies. There are many different kinds of love, almost if not all of which are represented here today. There is romantic love, the love of parents and children, of brothers and sisters and family, and love among friends.

"Not only do Andrea and Niklaus love each romantically – and they do, you can see it in every look, every touch, every moment they're together – they also love each other as friends. In fact, they're best friends, constantly laughing and taunting and teasing and very plainly and obviously enjoying their time together. That love and enjoyment of each other as best friends will sustain them through this marriage. In addition, the love collectively in this room, from friends and family, will help sustain and support the promises they make today. All of us here will help solidify this bond, as these two individuals are joined as husband and wife.

"This new journey will be at times richly rewarding and extremely difficult, but, most importantly, it will be a journey you take together. Marriage is much more than your signatures on a legal contract, this ritual that will unite your werewolf packs, and making the two of you and your daughter an official family. You are promising, in front of all these people you love, that you want to be with each other and only each other for the rest of your lives, and that you will do everything in your power to honour the promises you are making here today. For their part, the people who love you will also do everything in their power to try to help you hold up your end of the bargain." Ansel spoke so passionately about love, Klaus and Hayley felt how strong the words meant to them. "Please face each other." Klaus took hold of Hayley's soft hands and looked at her directly in the bright hazel green eyes. Ansel bound their joined hands with enchanted ivy and irises. "And now speak your vows."

"Andrea, I have been living on this earth for over a millennium and have never felt with anyone else the irrevocable connection that I share with you. We have had our fair shares of disagreements but as they say, all is fair in love and war. I never thought that you and I would be here today or that my soul mate was always right here with me. We've fought our enemies together, been each other's enemy, are raising and protecting our daughter and now the future is waiting for us. I am truly blessed to spend my days with you by my side as my wife whether you go by Hayley or Andrea. You are my best friend, the mother of my daughter, the most amazing, intelligent and beautiful woman I have ever been with." He saw tears leaking out of Hayley's eyes and squeezed her hands gently.

Hayley giggled quietly and blinked the tears away. "Niklaus, I never thought my life would ever come to this moment. I've never had a real family or friends until I came to New Orleans and saw you again. We have gone through turmoil to protect ourselves and our daughter from the world's dangers, and even hurt each other without realising the disastrous consequences, but we made it. It took us a while to finally get it right, but we did and now we're here. With you as my husband, I'll never be alone again, my daughter will never be without her father and I will never be without the love of my life protecting me and loving me the way I've always wanted to be. You are also my best friend, the father of my daughter, and the most incredible man that I have ever met and been with."

Everyone in the room had a smile on their face, several had tears in their eyes as the bride and groom said their vows with so much love.

Ansel took a moment to compose himself before addressing, "Do you, Andrea Labonair take Niklaus Mikaelson to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honour, cherish, and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only to him forevermore?"

"I do," Hayley responded with a soft smile.

"Do you Niklaus Mikaelson take Andrea Labonair to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honour, cherish, and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only to her forevermore?"

"I do."

The werewolf elder looked to two Mikaelsons closest to the couple. "Can we please have the rings?"

Klaus turned to Elijah who handed him a thin platinum wedding band encrusted in diamonds and repeated after his father, "With this ring, I marry you and bind my life with yours. It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows." He slid the stunning ring on her finger.

Rebekah undid the ring from the 6mm platinum wedding band and handed it over to Hayley and she repeated after Ansel, "With this ring, I marry you and bind my life with yours. It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows." Hayley looked back up at Klaus and saw him smiling adoringly at her.

Ansel then removed the handfast binding and handed the groom and bride a small candle each to light their large unity candle. "The both of you have passed all the trials and rituals of werewolf unification, now having heard the vows you have made to each other, by the power vested in me as the werewolf elder of the North East Atlantic Pack, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Son, you may kiss your bride."

Without hesitation, Klaus pulled his new wife into his arms and kissed her deeply. Everyone stood up in applause and cheers.

"I love you," Hayley whispered against his lips.

"As I do you."

In that moment, there was a surge of power that surged through their bodies and their eyes glowed bright gold. The eyes of the other werewolves in the room glowed too, the members of the North East Atlantic and Crescent Wolf Packs felt the wolves within them strengthen and remain present in their consciouses. It was the feeling of being newly turned and yet completely one with the beast inside, in control and free. It was done – their werewolf packs were now united as one.

Hayley had a huge smile on her face as Klaus led them down the aisle and followed the wedding planner out into the extended garden away from where the reception would be held. The guests would be served canapes and pre-drinks while the wedding party and family would take photographs outside. Their property expanded when they purchased the vineyard from an old Italian couple a couple weeks ago. Immediately, Rebekah called in gardeners and farmers to get the vineyard presentable for the wedding.

They spent about forty minutes taking photos with the family and individual portraits before Hayley and Klaus were left with the photographer for final bride and groom pictures. The two were wrapped in a close embrace as the last of photos were taken.

"I've never been so happy in my life, aside from having Hope." Hayley rested her chin on Klaus's shoulder.

"Me too, Little Wolf. Shall we head to the reception?" He asked the photographer. The man nodded and they walked to their garden reception where the wedding party was being introduced.

"Would you please put your hands together for Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson!" The M.C announced.

The reception was going smoothly! The food was excellent, the drinks flowed, Rebekah and Elijah gave heart-warming speeches and everyone from both packs were mingling and seemed to be getting along amazingly well. Kol wasn't surprised to not see Davina at the wedding – she came up with some excuse to go to visit some sick friend. He didn't want anything to do with her anymore – her betrayal was worse than his brothers ignoring him or even Finn killing him. However, the wildest Mikaelson did his best to keep his dark feelings to himself, this was Nik and Hayley's day and he was happy for the couple. He and Nik were reconciled and were thick as thieves, the same with Hayley, Kol considered her another sister and so he wanted nothing to ruin this for them.

* * *

"It's now time for the bride and groom to have their first dance." The D.J announced. Klaus was wearing his white shirt with black detailing and a bowtie, leaving his jacket off. He stood up and held his hand out. Hayley handed over Hope to Kol (who lovingly cuddled his giggling niece) and took hold of Klaus's hand and was led onto the wooden dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he rested his hands on her hip feeling the French lace of her dress.

If our love was a fairy tale

I would charge in and rescue you

On a yacht, baby, we would sail

To an island where we'd say I do

"So, Rebekah told me you chose the song for the first dance?" Hayley mused.

Klaus smirked. "I did indeed. I thought it would show a rather more romantic side."

"Yea, you actually can be very romantic." Hayley grinned.

And if we had babies they would look like you

It'd be so beautiful if that came true

You don't even know how very special you are

You leave me breathless

You're everything good in my life

You leave me breathless

I still can't believe that you're mine

You just walked out of one of my dreams

So beautiful, you're leaving me breathless

And if our love was a story book

We would meet on the very first page

The last chapter would be about

How I'm thankful for the life we've made

And if we had babies they would have your eyes

I would fall deeper watching you give life

You don't even know how very special you are

You leave me breathless

You're everything good in my life

You leave me breathless

I still can't believe that you're mine

You just walked out of one of my dreams

So beautiful, you're leaving me breathless

You must have been sent from heaven to earth to change me

You're like an angel

The thing that I feel is stronger than love believe me

You're something special

I only hope that I'll one day deserve what you've given me

But all I can do is try every day of my life

"Oh Klaus, this song is beautiful. The lyrics are just…" Hayley whimpered as tears for the hundredth time today threatened to fall.

"I know. That was one of the reasons I chose the song – because of the lyrics. The other reason was because of how much the song represents how much you mean to me." Klaus said honestly.

Hayley let herself shed a tear. "I love you, Klaus."

"I love you, Little Wolf." He chastely kissed her lips.

You leave me breathless

You're everything good in my life

You leave me breathless

I still can't believe that you're mine

You just walked out of one of my dreams

So beautiful, you're leaving me breathless

You leave me breathless

You're everything good in my life

You leave me breathless

I still can't believe that you're mine

You just walked out of one of my dreams

So beautiful, you're leaving me breathless, breathless

Just as soon as the song ended, chaos broke loose. The reception was intruded – everything happened within seconds, werewolves knocked unconscious, the necks of vampires snapped, and the few witches at the wedding reception were put down. With the servants and compelled human help all cowering in the corners, only the Mikaelson siblings remained and they immediately vamp sped to the newlyweds and their daughter was wrapped in her father's arms.

"Well, well... I never thought I would see the day that Niklaus Mikaelson would ever get married, let alone to a werewolf." Aurora walked up with Tristan right at her side. Aya and the Strix witch coven close behind them.

"Hybrid," Hayley snapped. "And you don't want to mess with me."

Davina then walked over to stand by Aurora with no emotions on her face.

"I'm sure all of you are well acquainted with the newest member of our ranks." Tristian smirked towards Kol, "Some much more than others."

Kol narrowed his sharp gaze at his elder brother's sireling, not saying a word, but his sister was not so quiet. "We've known for quite some time now. You were like family to us, you were a daughter to Marcel, how could you Davina?" Rebekah glared at the young girl.

Davina seemed as though she was about to respond, but her blank gaze became unfocused, at which point Hayley felt a strange sensation come over her, making her head heavy, swaying her forward. Those closest to her attempted to catch her but found themselves unable to move.

Cami then shot forward from the group of Strix using her vampire speed. She snapped Hayley's neck, picked her up, and fled. The Mikaelsons could only stare with horror on their faces.

Aurora giggled manically. "You see, Niklaus, happiness is ever fleeting for you, the moment you find it… poof, it's taken away, as it should be given the terror and heartbreak you've caused." She smirked, "You don't have to worry about your lovely new hybrid wife, Cami and I are going to enjoy spending some nice quality time with her."

Klaus was seeing red, he tried to step forward but the Strix witches kept him and his family in their place.

"I suggest you concern yourself with the Strix and forget about your precious wife... Your daughter might be the next target." Aurora walked away with her brother, Aya and the witches behind them, leaving Davina to keep the Originals back. Once she had them neutralized enough to be unable to fight, falling to their knees before her, she stopped. With a swish of her black cloak she left, not looking back at Marcel's unconscious body or Kol's hardened gaze fixed on her.

Klaus slowly got to his feet and looked down at his daughter, checking to see if she was harmed, thankfully she wasn't, physically anyway. The toddler's glassy blue eyes and her whines for Mummy told her father that she was aware her mother was forcibly taken from them. Klaus was FURIOUS. The one day that he could live in peace was his wedding and now it turned to absolute shit with his wife taken by the hands of that blonde bitch. Yes, he officially thought of her as a traitorous bitch.

Freya used her powers to wake up those who had fallen during the Strix assault, Elijah took to collecting anyone who was dead, Kol would have helped but he could tremble with fury and hurt at Davina. Rebekah barked orders at the servants while explaining to everyone what had happened.

Klaus then stood before his and Hayley's united packs and the vampires of New Orleans. "I don't care how it gets done, we must fight for our Queen, find her, and protect our Princess. I don't care who you have to kill but if I find my wife dead in the hands of our enemies, you will all feel my wrath." Klaus shouted before vamp-speeding off with his daughter into his bedroom that he shared with Hayley. No one dared rise to his words or follow him. He didn't even notice Lucien who'd been lurking in the balcony.

All he wanted was to have his wedding night with his wife, have their daughter sleeping peacefully in her nursery, their families and friends celebrating their union. However, his life was a never-ending cycle of misery and suffering, his past sins would always come back to haunt him and those he loved.

* * *

Merry Christmas EVERYBODY! WHAT A CHAPTER!

Hope you enjoy this little Christmas present. It had everything didn't it. I would love to link you the dresses but, I can't because doesn't let me :( IF you want to know, just PM me and I can find a way for you to see, but other than that...use your imagination !

I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has stuck with this story, all the followers, all the reviews both guests and FF users, and all the reads. I could thank each one of you personally, but it's too hard. I love you all so much :)

Catch you at the next chapter :) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ;)

xoxo Caz


	11. Chapter 11

Yay! New updat! Thank you to my amazing beta again :) Look out for a time jump ;)

* * *

Chapter 11

Klaus was staring outside the window in Hope's room – he had barely slept since Hayley was taken. He looked at the wall against his daughter's crib – each day was marked with a red crayon. One week and three days since his wife had been taken. Freya and Vincent tried their best to locate them but there was no luck. Lucien's resources could not find hide nor hair either. Hayley's location was cloaked against tracking spells, hidden from any means to find her. Kol was filled with anger and hate towards Davina's betrayal whereas Marcel and Josh were saddened and disappointed – one wanted her blood, the others wanted to forgive and forget. Katherine, Elijah, and Rebekah had been trying to hold the fort. Ansel and Cary busied themselves with the two wolf packs who have finally joined together in unity. Poor Stefan was caught in the middle of all this and while he was basically able to bow out if that was his choice, he chose to stay and help where he could, even if he was just a pillar of support.

Klaus looked down at his sleeping toddler and gently caressed the back of his finger against her soft cheek. "I will do everything in my power to make sure your mother returns to us."

"Nik…" Kol quietly shut the door behind him then walked over to Klaus, hovering behind his back. The two remained silent until the younger brother spoke again. "I'm sorry," Kol said quietly.

Klaus's finger froze against Hope's cheek. "What for Kol?" He turned around and looked at his sullen brother.

"For Davina. Everything that she has done was because I brought her into the family. You were right to not trust her."

"Kol, it is not your fault. Davina was and is responsible for her own actions – you did not do anything to cause Davina to turn against us."

"But – "

Klaus put his hand on Kol's shoulder and looked at him straight into his eyes. "If anyone is to blame it is me. Before you even met her I had already done enough for her to want revenge against me. For my part, I had tried to accept her, hoped that her love for you, Marcel, and even Hayley could be enough to quell her resentment, unfortunately, that was not the case. But enough of this. We should focus all our anger and frustration on finding Hayley and defeating the Strix and those blasted de Martels."

Kol nodded and hugged his brother. The two of them turned to Hope as she slowly started to wake from her nap. They could only brokenly stare at the child as she almost pleadingly asked for Mummy.

* * *

Pain. That was the only thing that she could initially register. She was weak, drained of both her energy and strength but she refused to open her eyes to try and regain consciousness simply to regain herself. Something, however, pricked at the edge of her mind, calling for her to awaken. Then, her eyes – seemingly of their own accord – opened. The hybrid looked at her surroundings, she was alone in some sort of a room, lit only by torchlight. It reminded her of the Garden where Marcel used to keep his prisoners except it didn't feel like she was in New Orleans anymore. The smell of the air was foreign, stuffy and dank. Her hands were held in chains attached to the ceiling. Hayley looked down and found that she was still wearing her wedding dress which was now in ruins. Her beautiful lace dress was in tatters and blood stains patched all over the front of her torso. She was powerless, desperate to see Hope and Klaus. Hayley smelled blood, mingled with the vervain and wolfsbane, oozing from her various wounds as she struggled against the manacles, but another scent caught her attention.

"Well… look who's awake. I'm sure Niklaus would love to see his darling new wife all chained up and helpless." Aurora walked in wearing a smug on her face. Hayley saw Cami and Davina following behind her.

"Let me go and you can see how helpless you actually are!" She growled.

"No, I don't think so dear Hybrid Queen." Aurora tutted.

Cami stood behind her with her arms crossed smirking at Hayley's weakened form whereas Davina just stood at the baby vampire's side with what appeared to be guilt in her doe eyes.

"What do you want from me?" Hayley spat.

Aurora tapped her finger on her chin pretending to think. " Well from you technically nothing. Now for you," she giggled childishly, "I would like for you to suffer. For Niklaus to suffer. For the Mikaelsons to suffer. My brother, Aya, and I – not to mention every other vampire in our ranks – are ready to be free of our sires forever. Once the Strix coven breaks the Originals' sireline, your precious Mikaelsons and their allies will be in for the war of their lives." Aurora cackled then nodded at Cami.

The young vampire marched to the hybrid with a number of emotions flashing across her features, first smugness and satisfaction and then vengeance and anger. The blonde channeled all her latter feelings into the abuse she wrought onto Hayley. Every scratch, slap, punch, and kick accompanied by haughty accusations of Klaus being stolen from her. The female hybrid made no comments or comebacks, barely making any noise besides grunts in response to the pain. In truth, if she was unchained and able to fight against Cami she would have laughed at the blonde's naivety. As much claim on Klaus that she had now, she knew also was aware of what she was to the father of her child prior to their marriage and their agreement for their union. Hayley came before every other woman in Klaus's life, even if back then it was seemingly just for Hope.

With her peripheral vision, the hybrid could see Aurora's eyes narrow slightly towards Cami. It dawned on Hayley that the petite red head may still carry a torch for the Original Hybrid. She filed that little nugget of thought away for later. Eventually, Aurora stopped Cami and broke Hayley's neck.

A couple hours later, Hayley awoke to see a blurry figure in front of her.

"I brought you a couple blood bags, I know it's not enough but it's the best that I could do."

"Fuck off Davina, I don't need you." Hayley snarled at the traitorous little witch.

Davina did not seem phased by the older woman's reaction. "Yes, you do. I'm sorry I had to betray you and Kol but I had to do it… I had no choice." Hayley scoffed but accepted the proffered blood.

"You're not sorry. If you were you never would have done this to us in the first place. All Klaus and I have ever wanted was family, now it is going to be ruined and you helped destroy it. Did you even think about Hope?! Hayley cried out. "She's just a child, a little girl who has so much in common with you – a witch with great power, her mother taken from her, her father's death plotted... would you really want to do to someone what happened to you?"

Davina clenched her jaw. "I'll come back next time to give you more blood." As she walked away Hayley, her voice hoarse and laced with exhaustion, gave her one last thing to think about.

"There is always a choice."

Time and time again, Hayley was tortured – blood drained by Tristan, dosed with vervain and wolfsbane by Aya, her body took numerous physical blows from Cami using her as a personal punching bag, and cuts and wounds from various weaponry courtesy of Aurora. Davina tried her best to secretly replenish her blood loss but never did she recover ever a fraction of her strength.

They wanted her, Klaus, and the Mikaelsons to suffer, but why not just kill her and present her corpse to Klaus in some gruesome fashion of their choice? Of course, torture was a fate worse than death, but why keep her alive? Hayley couldn't make sense of it, but she wasn't even in the right mind to try and figure it out. She was too tired to fight so what hope could she have to critically think and assess.

* * *

Hope was a special child – she had always known this, ever since she was five years old. At her present age of seven, she was a strong tribrid with her witch powers strengthening daily and the vampire in her heightening her senses, even the wolf in her contributed to this, despite her being currently inactive, making her unable to change.

Her family, especially her father, told stories and showed pictures of her mother. They had a large portrait from her parents' wedding of the both them with a toddler Hope between them hanging in her father's room. A smaller version on her nightstand, Hope would stare at it every night before falling into slumber to dream about seeing her mother one day. Hope wasn't so naïve at her age – she knew that her family was hiding something about her mother. Despite what her family told her, Hope just knew that Hayley Mikaelson was definitely not on an adventure by herself for an indefinite amount of time with no contact with the other Mikaelsons.

Hope's Uncle Stefan had returned to Mystic Falls, he reconciled with those he once called friends and family there and now he was engaged to Caroline Forbes. From time to time, he returned to New Orleans with the Mystic Falls group to aid in the search for the Hayley, but even with the power of some of the most powerful witches in the world, there was no luck.

Currently, the young tribrid was sitting at her table doing some reading for school – her dad thought that her mom wanted she to attend school with other children instead of being home-schooled. Aunt Freya and Uncle Kol were Hope's magical tutors while her brother Marcel taught her self-defense, Grandfather Ansel taught wolf history and lore, vampire history was covered by her dad and Uncle Elijah, and Aunt Bekah and Aunt Kat considered themselves Hope's personal fashion advisors. This was the life of Hope Mikaelson, surrounded by both normal and supernatural circumstances, numerous people, related to her through blood or association, who loved and protected her. She had everything, everything but her mother.

Hope suddenly felt the urge to go to the bayou – there was something there that was trying to pull her go and she always found that she should trust her senses. Hope closed her book and skipped downstairs where she found her Aunt Freya in the kitchen.

"Hello little one, would you like a sandwich?" Hope sat up on the bar stool and perched on the counter. She nodded as Freya plated a ham and cheese sandwich and put it in front of the child who ate it eagerly.

"My sandwich is nothing compared to what your mother can put together. She is a great cook. I remember her telling me that she wanted was to run her own restaurant or patisserie café when things are finally settled."

"What's a patisserie café?"

"It's where they serve cakes and desserts. You'd love it since it's basically a shop full of sweets."

Hope gave a single nod before presenting her request. "Aunt Freya, I want to go for a walk in the bayou."

"What for my dearest niece?"

"I need to go. There's something inside me that is pulling me there."

"Sure, let's all go," Kol told her as he and his younger sister strode into the room.

Hope smiled gleefully and run up to her room to change her shoes then met her uncle and aunts by the front door.

When they arrived at the bayou, Hope walked off in front of them dancing around, leaving her father's siblings to talk.

"Hayley would be so proud of her." Rebekah smiled fondly.

All the residents of the Compound were missing Hayley presence in their home – she had filled the house with so much joy and amazing food, but none missed her more than Klaus. His other half was gone and they had yet to celebrate and enjoy their married life. He would spend every night with Hope looking at photos and paintings of the female hybrid. The family documented every single moment of Hope's life for Hayley when the day of long-awaited return arrived.

"Nik hasn't been doing any better," Kol said grimly.

Rebekah snorted rather defeatedly. "Of course, he hasn't. Nothing and no one has been able to find Hayley and he's living on edge waiting for something disastrous to happen."

When every manner of locator spells couldn't track Hayley, it was suggested that perhaps she was not only cloaked, but perhaps not even on land given that spells don't work track into water. The Strix had apparently also left the city without a trace so the Mikaelsons then had to resort to scavenging the oceans on their own as they didn't want to attract any unwanted attention by compelling humans to have large scale search and rescue parties.

Ansel had been talking to him, but Klaus refused to acknowledge his father's words. He often found confided in his younger brother, both reflecting on their lives and experiences of betrayal. Klaus tried to hold it all together for Hope's sake but he was suffering emotionally and psychologically without his wife.

The siblings walked closer to Hope where she stood at the river's edge.

"What are you doing Hope?"

"There's something in the water."

Kol dubiously side-eyed his niece. "Darling, there's nothing there."

The young girl stubbornly sneered at her uncle's lack of faith in her senses. She started using her magic to make the water ebb and flow, Freya began helping her to appease the child. Their manipulations of the water gave way to a sort of trap door at the water's bottom.

"What is that?"

Freya could only shake her head at her younger sister's question. She stilled the water in place and cautiously approached the door. Finding a spell, she broke it with a bit of effort (especially since she still had the water pushed away from it) and opened the trap door.

It was decided that Rebekah and Kol would explore what was down there while Freya secured its access and watched over Hope. They walked down the stairs and found themselves in a tunnel, not even an hour later they discovered that it was more than one tunnel or rather an intricate maze that apparently was also enchanted. When they tried to circle back the former path had changed.

"Wonderful," drawled Rebekah sarcastically, "We're lost."

"No, you're not."

The siblings whirled around and found their niece behind them. Before they could question her presence, the little girl ran into one of the tunnels, her aunt and uncle could do nothing but vamp speed after her. What the youngest Mikaelsons found completely unnerved and astonished them. In the room that Hope had stopped in was Hayley. Rebekah tried to shield the youngest Mikaelson from the traumatizing sight while Kol broke Hayley's shackles, bit his wrist, and fed the hybrid his blood.

"It's not enough. We need to take her back to the house now." Rebekah ordered.

"Well, how do you suggest we get out of this bloody place?"

Hope spoke up saying she could lead them. Eventually, they reunited with Freya who took care of the evidence of them finding Hayley. Rebekah immediately vamp sped home with her niece in her arms. Kol carefully put Hayley in the backseat of his car and he, along with Freya, rushed home after their sister.

"Aunt Bekah, was that Mommy?" Hope asked rather meekly as her aunt deposited her in her bedroom.

"Yes dear, that was your mother, but-"

"What's going on?" Katherine suspiciously looked at the pair as she purposely marched in to learn what they were talking about.

After convincing Hope to continue her school studies for the time being, Rebekah was able to fill Katherine in on what happened and who they found in the bayou. The two women then gathered what they would need for Hayley's arrival.

Within a matter of minutes, Freya and Kol strode in the Compound, the latter with a battered and unconscious hybrid in his arms. Katherine and Rebekah followed them to Klaus's room with towels, clean water, and blood bags. Freya called for Hope and then two witches went about magically healing Hayley. They were only able to cure her of her surface wounds, any internal damage would have to be handled by Hayley's own hybrid healing. Kol was sent with Hope out of the room, as the women took to cleaning Hayley.

"Will mommy be alright?" Hope asked with her trembling lips.

Kol kissed her cheek. "Your mother will be fine. She just needs lots of rest and love, young don't we go practice your violin? It will help keep your mind off worrying about her."

"But Mommy needs me."

"Yes, she does, but for now she has your aunts to help her. When your mother wakes up you can show her how good you are at the violin, your magic, and everything else you can do. She'll be so impressed and proud of you."

As well-intentioned as her uncle was, Hope found that her thoughts could only stay on her mother.

* * *

The Mikaelson women finished bathing and dressing their sister and laid her under the covers on her husband's bed to rest and recuperate. Freya then called Klaus and Elijah to inform them of the retrieval of Hayley while Kat and Bekah sat with the hybrid.

"She was so happy on her wedding day. Our family had found peace and happiness on that one day." Katherine said sadly.

"Yes, we did." Rebekah softly stroke Hayley's hair and sighed. "She's going to be so upset for missing out on even more of Hope's life."

"They're going to pay. All of them." Katherine spat out menacingly.

"I'm sure Nik can handle that on his own." The blonde then smirked darkly. "But hopefully he'll give us all a chance to give them hell too."

Klaus and Elijah arrived back at the Compound during the evening and immediately Klaus raced up to his bedroom.

Elijah kissed Katherine and held her close. "Where's Hope?"

"She finished dinner then after a story from Kol she fell asleep, albeit reluctantly."

"And Hayley?"

"From what we can tell, she went through may forms of consistent and possibly constant torture. We had to put blood directly into her veins instead of feeding it to her."

"Has she woken since her retrieval?"

At this moment, all the Mikaelsons joined Katherine and Elijah in the foyer.

Freya shook her head, "No, she's regained consciousness a couple times but always slipped back into sleep again moments later."

Rebekah inquired, "How was Nik on the flight home?"

"He was seemingly calm but internally anxious. Thankfully he didn't lash out at anyone, I suppose he was too numb with the knowledge of Hayley being found."

The family then opted to retire to their own rooms, leaving Klaus to privately reunite with Hayley.

* * *

Klaus opened the door and walked past his art room, around the corner and froze at the sight in front of him. Five years away from his wife, five years of not seeing or hearing from her, and five years being tortured. He walked over to her side of the bed and kneeled beside her. His eyes and fingers roamed all over her body; feeling every inch of her skin that he has missed the feel of her soft velvet skin, taking in the sight of her bruised and damaged form.

"Little Wolf…" He whispered.

Suddenly he saw Hayley's eyes flew wide open and a scream tore through her throat.

Klaus sat on the bed and gathered her into his arms, rocking her back and forth. He whispered sweet yet soothing words to calm her down but she kept thrashing.

Hayley's mind was starting to regain sanity, registering the familiar voice whispering in her ears. "Klaus?"

"It's me, Little Wolf, you're home now." He said into her hair. She took hold of his arm that was wrapped around the front of her chest and for the first time in five years, she openly and uncontrollably sobbed – out of relief, out of pain and out of sadness.

"Shhh… it's alright."

Hayley eventually cried herself back to sleep. The husband and wife remained in the position – the house was silent as everyone had turned in for the evening.

"Daddy," Klaus turned his head and look at his daughter standing in his doorway, her eyes filled with sadness, curiosity, and innocence. "Is Mommy okay?"

He gestured for her to enter the room. "She will be. She's home with us now… where she belongs." He whispered. He watched as Hope slipped under the duvet cover and snuggled into her mother's side.

Hayley was sitting on beautiful green grass looking out at her surroundings. 'Where am I?' Suddenly the greenery changed and all there was was darkness. Three figures approached her with deadly expressions and looking blood deprived.

"No one is coming to save you." One voice breathed close to her face. She was restrained in chains, encircled by the haunting figures. Her vision was blurred, but she could discern their movements.

"Your Hybrid King won't ever find you." The other figure cackled.

"This is your new home now. Welcome to hell, Hayley." The third figure grinned evilly and raised a wooden stake above her.

"KLAUS!" Hayley screamed, bracing herself to be staked in the heart.

Klaus startled awake when he heard her cry out and felt her sit upright. Klaus quickly pulled her into his arms and caressed her hair as she sobbed into his chest.

"It's alright, my love. You're home now." He whispered. Hope also awoke to her mother's screams and immediately went to hug her mother's side. Hayley looked completely startled by the sight of the little girl clinging to her.

Klaus looked at Hope. "Love, can you please go get ready for school? You can see your mother later."

"Okay, Daddy." Hope bounced off the bed and did as her father asked.

Hayley stared after the child as she left the room. "How-how long has it been?"

Klaus swallowed thickly answered his wife. "Five years."

"F-f-five years Klaus." Hayley hiccupped in between her sobs.

"I am so sorry Hayley. I promised to protect you but I couldn't even find you."

Hayley was slowly subsiding her cries and fisted his shirt. "Nooo…." She moaned, "Not your fault." She repeated over and over again.

Klaus held her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "Hope has missed you, we all have." He whispered.

Hayley froze and looked up at her sullen looking husband. "Is she okay? Is she safe?"

"She's fine, Love. You going to be so proud of her once you've learned all that she's accomplished."

"I missed out on her growing up Klaus! I can never get that back. I've missed out on everything!" Hayley cried out. She shot out of bed and walked over to the large window and looked out at the New Orleans dawn sky with her arms wrapped around herself. She heard some rustlings and turned around to see Klaus holding a large box.

"What's that?" Hayley asked.

"Everything you missed being away from Hope – photo albums, videos of major milestones. When you sit down at look through the box, you won't have missed anything." Klaus gave her a soft smile then put the box on the table. His wife walked toward him, a hand covering her mouth. "Hayley, you have no idea how much we've missed you. We searched everywhere for you, but when we finally thought we found a lead… it disappeared. Our daughter reminds me that every day, she loses time without having her mother in her life, that's what kept me going. When Freya called telling me that our daughter found you," Hayley watched Klaus's face riddled with emotions and his eyes swimming with unshed tears, "I felt like my life was whole again."

Hayley wiped away her tears and walked into Klaus's embrace, holding onto him like it was the last time she would see him again; that she would wake up and she was back in her hell hole. "Promise to never let me go again?" She looked up at him with red, puffy eyes.

"I promise, only if you let us help you get things back to normal." Hayley reached up and kissed her husband soundly – five years without his touch, without his caresses, and without his kisses felt like forever.

New Orleans had their Queen back, but there was still a war to be fought, and the Queen needed to rediscover herself and be rid of her trauma before she would co-lead the army. Only time would tell when the storm would arrive.

* * *

Wow! What's happening with Hayley!? Poor girl :( She just had the worst five years of her life and is extremely vulnerable and broken. Over the next few chapters, we'll see glimpses of her trauma and recovery, and what happens to the Strix and the de Martels siblings. WHO KNEW CAMI COULD BE SO EVIL!

Thanks for all the reviews and love. If I don't reply, don't be disheartened because I do read it and LOVE you for it :)

xoxo Caz


	12. Chapter 12

Here it is! **Please read the note at the end** \- Special thanks to my beta: AryaTindomiel

HUGE Apologies for the long wait...but the drama/angst is about to hit!

* * *

Chapter Twelve

She struggled against the chains restraining her arms to the railing headboard of the bed. She scoffed at the idea of sleeping in a bed after having been captured for six months already. Hayley was exhausted from the screaming and pain she had experienced the last two days. The non-stop mental torture and determination to try and break Hayley was exhausting on both sides – Aurora and the Strix were not getting too physical, but they would try and get her to spill the Mikaelsons secrets and plans to destroy them. Davina was still very much trying to keep her alive, and no-one dared to interfere because of witch's powers.

"Good morning hybrid." Aurora sang as she entered the room, all dressed in a fancy dress with her makeup done to perfection and hair all done up.

"Is it ever?" Hayley responded sarcastically.

"Hush. I did not ask you to speak." Aurora walked closer and appeared to be hiding things behind her back.

"I don't give a shit what you say. Klaus will find me." Hayley snapped. Aurora cackled as she walked closer to Hayley. She immediately stopped once she was face to face with the hybrid queen. She pulled out something metal from her back and stabbed Hayley in the arm causing to howl in pain.

"I suggest you change your tone when you speak with me. I'm holding all the cards." Aurora warned pulling out the sharp metal stick, then spun around and gracefully walked to out of the room.

"It's been six months Hayley…. time to give up because they will never find you and besides I'm certainly going to enjoy continuing to watch you suffer." Once Aurora left, Aya and Davina walked into the room. Davina raised her hands, alerting Hayley of what was about to happen.

"No! Please, Davina. No more!" Hayley cried out in agony and pain as the blood poured out from her wounded arm. Davina looked at Aya who looked back at the little witch and flicked her head to proceed.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Hayley screamed as Davina chanted a spell causing Hayley's pain threshold to go into overdrive, filling her thoughts with painful images and agony, causing Hayley to lose consciousness after five minutes.

This was the routine for the next six months of Hayley's captivity. Every day, she would mark on the wall of her cold cell, the days she had been held in Aurora and Ava's power. Davina would find her in the corner of her room in a foetal position the next day after her mental torture. Hayley was like a scared child when Davina tried to help her with some of her wounds that are inflicted on her, and try to clean and feed her. No words were ever spoken between the two during that time of day – Davina felt too guilty and Hayley was too emotionally distraught and traumatised.

One night, Hayley was sleeping when Aurora pulled Davina into the room and forced her to conduct another spell on Hayley that had forever embedded in her mind for the rest of her captivity. It was the worst collection of nightmares that she could imagine – it would never live up to the physical pain that she had suffered because these nightmares damaged her emotionally.

"No! Please…Klaus." Hayley sobbed, "I'm here. I love you and I love Hope. Please don't leave me for her. I can do better. Klaus!" Hayley screamed.

* * *

"Klaus!" Hayley howled tossing and tossing and turning in her bed. Klaus grabbed her shoulder to try and wake her up. She was having a nightmare – she hadn't howled in her sleep since she was found and brought home a month ago. Hayley was slowly getting better and reconnecting with her daughter and Klaus, not to mention the rest of the family, falling into a new routine. Occasionally, she would recoil back into her scared, quiet behaviour if she accidentally dropped things on the floor (such as plates and cups) or if she cleaned and someone jokingly said she missed a spot. It was noticeable by everyone and Rebekah and Kol tried to break her out of the habit of behaving like an abused servant (which she practically was).

Klaus shook her trying to call her out of her nightmare. Slowly, her eyes opened but the tears could not stop.

"Klaus…" Hayley panted. Klaus pulled Hayley into his body and rocked her, calming her down but she kept whimpering 'Klaus', 'no', and 'please'. He tried to ask her about her nightmares, but Hayley would remain tight-lipped. The only time anyone saw Hayley smiling and laughing, was when she was with Hope, she was the light of her life, and so was Klaus. Hayley was always touching him – after five years, their touch felt distant and almost unfamiliar; she had to remind herself that he was here and real, and he was affectionate and patient (not one of his innate traits) with her. He showered her with love and care that Hayley had been deprived of for the past five years, and it was how Hayley became more open to him.

"Where's Hope?" Hayley asked shakily.

"She's getting ready for school," Elijah responded walking into the room with Rebekah and Kol who were startled by Hayley's screams that almost shook the whole house.

"I need to see her." Hayley tried to pull away from Klaus's hold to try and find her daughter and hold her so nobody could take her away, not even that woman.

Hope's bedroom door swung open as she gathered her books into her backpack. Her mother stormed in and pulled her deathly close, mumbling incoherent words in her daughter's ear.

"Hayley, you need to let Hope breath." Rebekah carefully loosened Hayley's arms around Hope and was surprised to see how miserable she looked – her eyes puffy and red. Klaus and Elijah whispered quietly at the door and agreed to let Hope to stay with her mother to ease Hayley's mind and worry.

"Hope, you get to stay home today. Your mother needs you, while your uncles and I won't be here, but your aunts will be." Klaus said walking over to his estranged wife and their sweet daughter.

"Please Klaus, don't take Hope away from me. I'll do anything." Hayley begged as she gripped onto his shirt, refusing to let him go. In that moment, everyone in that room realised that she was re-living her nightmare.

Klaus's hand went to her head and cradled her face. "Hope isn't going anywhere. She's staying here with us. I swear to you." His hands slid to hers and tried to loosen her grip on his shirt, but she wouldn't let go.

"You can't let her take my daughter away from me. You can have her, but Hope is the only thing I have left. I've already lost you," Hayley sobbed.

Hope watched as her mother broke down confused – why would she think someone would take her away? Who was _her_? She raised her hand and pressed it against her mother's forehead chanting some spell that her aunt Freya had taught her. After two minutes, Hayley slumped and was sleeping peacefully. Klaus picked Hayley up and beckoned Hope over to follow them to their bedroom where he laid his wife down so she could rest in the comfort. Hope laid beside her mother and snuggled against Hayley's side and slowly fell asleep – one of the rarities during the school year.

Klaus sighed and rubbed his hand along his face – what was he going to do with Hayley? This was the worst thing he had to witness since Hayley came home. He saw glimpses of her old self, but she was still so fragile and vulnerable. Touching each other and intimate kisses were as far as they went – sex was not on the table at all. He feared the worst for Hayley especially with how little he knew about her time in captivity. Klaus left his favourite girls asleep while he went off with Elijah and Kol to track a potential lead in finding Aurora, the Strix, Cami, and Davina.

* * *

Hope woke up and took a moment to look at her mother's face, noticing that she seemed to be regaining colour again. After softly kissing Hayley's cheek, she walked quietly downstairs, making sure not to disturb her mother. She padded into the kitchen where she saw Rebekah hovering over the stovetop. Niece and aunt shared a smile as the former took a seat on a stool. As Rebekah continued to cook, Hope twiddled her fingers a bit, trying to understand what she saw in her mother's head.

Hesitantly, she inquired, "Aunt Bekah, who is Caroline and why does Mum dream about her?"

Rebekah froze at the mention of that name. She turned down the stove and walked over to Hope as she saw Freya walking in holding a bag of groceries. Freya resumed Rebekah's cooking while listening to the conversation.

Rebekah paused before speaking. "Is that who your mom was talking about in your before?"

"Yeah. I saw it when I tried to calm her down and pull her out of her dream…so, who is she?"

"You remember your Uncle Stefan, right?" The seven-year-old nodded. "Well, she was his wife, they were married before Stefan died... and she's also the mother of Alaric's twins, you remember Alaric don't you, love?" Again, Hope nodded, but her face clearly wanted to her aunt to say what she was hiding. Rebekah then gave a heavy sigh, "Caroline was someone who your dad fancied when we were living in Mystic Falls. She was a blond cheerleader in high school when your father met her. I'm fairly certain his initial pursuit of her was to upset her boyfriend at the time Tyler, who was also your father's first successful hybrid. Nik banished Tyler from Mystic Falls and all the while showered Caroline with expensive gifts and pretty words but she always rejected him. Recently, however, your father sent Caroline a letter along with a check for 3 million dollars. So, he may have cared for her, she only used him for her own gains and was willing to go to lengths to protect the people she loved, even if it meant hurting Nik…" Rebekah slowly trailed off. Freya looked up at her sister, silently urging her to continue the story.

"What did Mum think of her?"

"Hayley initially didn't like Caroline because she fancied Tyler," Rebekah gave a humourless laugh, "Ironic, isn't it? Anyway, they were essentially rivals for Tyler, but at the time he was completely Caroline's and I suppose you parents got together because of this mutual dismissal of their infatuations. Anyway, they parted as enemies really with dislike if not hate on both parts. Caroline was extremely critical of Hayley."

"Was my dad ever with Caroline?" Hope asked innocently.

Rebekah gave a half-scoff, half-sigh, "A short fling that didn't even last a day." Only Freya noticed as Katherine slinked into the alcove entrance of the kitchen and hovered, while silently laughing at that last statement. "As I said, Caroline had a habit of rejecting and he never seemed to understand that or he was simply highly aware that despite the rejection, Caroline was attracted to him. So, all in all, no they never had a true relationship."

Hope was quiet for a time, then suddenly started panicking, "But since Uncle Stefan is gone now, there's still a chance for Caroline to be with Dad. That's why mom has been having nightmares about her taking me away!"

Katherine then made her entrance and held her little niece close as her blue eyes glazed over. "Don't be ridiculous. Klaus is not about to leave Hayley for that blonde bimbo." She looked to the other aunts in the room to back up her statement.

"Of course, he won't," Freya said resolutely, "He's worked too hard to win her just to trade her for a former obsession that barely gave him the time of day."

Rebekah's felt that she had said enough for the day, so she stayed quiet and softly smoothed Hope's hair.

Klaus, Elijah, and Kol then walked in and were startled by their youngest family member's tears. Hope was a happy child; rarely did she ever get upset or sad.

Klaus hurriedly kneeled in front of Hope and tilted up her chin and looked at her daughter's suddenly angry eyes. "What's wrong, Littlest Wolf?"

Hope pushed her dad's hand away and stood up. "Do you really plan on leaving Mum and taking me away from her?" Hope shouted.

"What nonsense is this?"

Hope didn't answer directly, only looking to Rebekah which made Klaus turn to her.

"What did you tell her!?" He barked.

Rebekah barely got a word out before Hope spoke again. "Mum has been gone for five years and you were off sending love letters and money to some old almost girlfriend of yours."

"They were no love letters. It was a single letter of gratitude and a donation for the school." Klaus snapped.

"A big donation."

"For a good cause, one that we can relate to." Klaus shook his head, "And besides, money is no object to our family Hope, we're immortal and we've lived for over 1000 years, the Mikaelson family wealth is endless."

"But what about Mum!? If you never found her were you just going to leave so you could be with Caroline?"

"Absolutely not! I would have gone to the ends of Earth for the love that I have for your mother, I did and would again, doesn't that tell you that I wouldn't leave her?"

"I asked what would have happened if you never found Mum," Hope said angrily, "I know you have a right to move on Dad, but to her, that's just a betrayal to Mum!"

"Hope." Everyone turned to the top staircase where the voice was coming from – it was Hayley showered and dressed in a simple white dress as she slowly came down the stairs. "What is going on?" She asked.

"Nothing is going on, my love," Klaus said coolly shooting his daughter a warning look to stop her from saying anything.

"Don't lie to me. Hope never yells at you or at anyone without a reason. Somebody, please explain." Hayley walked closer towards them.

Rebekah took a deep breath and turned to face Hayley standing behind her. "Hope told us about your nightmares…about – "

"Caroline." Hayley in shock, identifying the blonde figure that had caught her eye at the entrance of the Abbatoir Everyone turned around following Hayley's gaze – Klaus only spared a glance towards the newcomer then quickly looked at his wife. Her eyes showed fear, shock and hurt. Klaus put his hand out toward her but Hayley took a step back from him with her hands across her chest. She recoiled into her submissive position holding her fist against her heart and head bowed, feeling the cold wind caressing her skin.

Her worst nightmare was true…it wasn't a vision, it wasn't a dream, it wasn't a nightmare...this was reality, this was her reality.

* * *

 _ **Thank you**_ so much to everyone who have been patient - both myself and my beta have been super busy (especially my beta) with school and life and have not found time to do any writing at all. There will be a wait for new chapters because we both have so much school to get through and I'll be working a lot to save up for my student exchange program next year, but I will try and write when I find the chance.

Chapter 13 is currently being reconstructed and edited as what I wrote kind of made no sense but it did make some sense, but I was writing while on holidays, and I just wrote a bunch of fluff that made no sense. We are going to get an insight in what Hayley suffered over the past five years, focusing on her mental health and insecurities. Don't worry, Klayley will have a happy ending though - still 20 chapters are planned for this fic + epilogue.

Thank you once again lovelies,

xoxo Caz


	13. Chapter 13

The draft for this chapter was a mess, so a massive shout out and thank you to my amazing beta AryaTindomiel for her amazing work with this chapter! I hope you all enjoy this...we're getting towards the end with 7 chapters to go :)

* * *

"Oh shit!" Katherine whispered.

Hayley started to run from the room after a few steps stopped short and whimpered softly before continuing up to the stairs at human speed. Klaus quickly tried to follow his wife, but Rebekah and Kol blocked his path, stating that he was needed here for now to explain the presence of the Mystic Falls vampire. Hope slipped past the other adults and ran after her mother.

"Why didn't Hayley use her hybrid speed?" Elijah wondered.

"She's lost touch with her hybrid abilities," Freya sadly sighed, "Five years in captivity – weakened, beaten, and traumatised. Both her werewolf and vampire side has been disconnected from her so her powers are lost."

Before anyone could speak further, the newcomer at the door turned around (having had her back turned when Hayley and Hope had run upstairs), "Umm, is anyone going to invite us in?" She threw a noncommittal hand gesture to indicate Alaric, the twin girls, and herself (although she was the only one who needed an invitation to come in).

"What the hell are you even doing here?"

"Hey," Alaric exclaimed, lightly touching his daughters' heads, "Can we watch the language around the kids here?"

He was seemingly ignored, but Caroline's eyes flickered to her girls before retorting, "I could say the same thing to you,"

A slight narrowing of Katherine's feline gaze and an upward twitch of her lips appeared on the doppelganger's face. "I do believe a wife's place is where her husband is." She leaned her shoulder against Elijah's as she flashed her left ring finger which was adorned with a brilliant lapis lazuli, a diamond encrusted design streaked across the stone, cushioned on a thin, pale gold band.

Both Alaric and Caroline looked astonished but were not allowed to express their opinions on the subject.

Elijah's gaze mimicked his beloved's as he stroked his own pale gold wedding band. "Now as my wife has already asked, why is it that you are here?"

"Hey, we're only here to find prospective students for our school," Alaric paused with caution, "And to see if you'd be interested in enrolling Hope-"

"Absolutely not! My daughter is not about to attend an institution hundreds of miles away from her parents and her family, especially since she just got her mother back."

Caroline shifted her eyes toward Klaus. "So, you've found her."

"Yes, Caroline," Rebekah bit while stepping slightly in front of her brother, "And if you and your... family could be as so kind as to allow mine some time to bond now that we are whole again..."

Alaric took Josie and Lizzie's hands, "You know what, we'll be here for the rest of the week, so we'll come back-"

"We will come to you... if need be." Elijah cut off.

Alaric slightly grimaced but nodded anyway, giving Caroline a look before walking away with his twins. Caroline lingered in the doorway for a few more seconds, but when she couldn't catch Klaus's elusive gaze she followed Alaric.

Elijah quickly went to shut the door and lock it. No one else in the Compound's courtyard moved or spoke for the next few, tense minutes.

Klaus then tried to make his way upstairs again, ignoring the angry looks of the women in the room but said women blocked his way. "Will you lot bloody move, I need to-"

"Apparently, you need to reassess your priorities Nik." Rebekah gave him a look that was a mix of anger and disappointment.

"My priorities are Hope, Hayley, and the rest of my family," he vehemently stated.

Katherine scoffed, "Well you've got a funny way of showing it." Crossing her arms, she continued her verbal assault, "You don't really see her suffering, do you? Either that or you don't want to. She already had to go through so much pain directly from you when all she was just Hope's mother, but she's your wife and she's spent most of your marriage being tortured and abused by your enemies. Her physical wounds are healed but her mind isn't, and who knows what Aurora forced her to see or believe, and to rub salt into her wounds you had to send for your former blonde obsession?"

Klaus looked at Katherine with equal anger and anguish, ready to defend himself once more, but she gave him no chance as she used her vampire speed to go up to be with Hayley. Rebekah and Freya didn't speak but it was obvious that they stood by what Katherine said. The two sisters made their way up.

Turning to his brothers, Klaus appeared to be pleading for assurance. "I suppose you both agree with the women?"

Kol softly glared, "There isn't really anything I can say that they haven't already."

Once Kol had left Elijah spoke, "Brother," the elder Mikaelson settled a hand on the younger's shoulder, "You may deny it, but at your core, you have a soft heart and all who come into your life leave an impression on you. Most prominently Hope and perhaps her mother-"

"There is no perhaps Elijah-"

"-Of course, but the both of you both are in a precarious state. She is haunted by everything she was tormented with and you have been without her for all these years. There are many obstacles to overcome, but I know the both of you have never let such things stand in your way." Elijah paused for a moment, "I shall leave you with this: I know you love your wife, as I love mine, but as your former flames are all under the impression it is their time to come for you, you must let Hayley - and the world it seems - know of your love and from now unto forever ensure that there is never any doubt of it."

* * *

Hayley… it's me." Katherine softly knocked. When she didn't hear a response, she let herself in and closed the door behind her gently. Her heart sank when she saw one of her best friends silently sobbing with her daughter in her arms. The brunette vampire walked over to the hybrid's side and wrapped her into a tight side embrace. "Everything is going to be okay." Katherine ran her hand down the back of her head, trying to calm Hayley down.

"Nothing will be okay. I'm broken, Kat… I'm unwanted by my own husband, I don't know what to do anymore." Hayley shifted and cried into her shoulder.

Katherine's dark brown gaze moved to the little girl on Hayley's other side. "Hope, why don't you go and find your Uncle Kol. It is about time for Lucien's weekly gifts to arrive for Aunt Freya and we all know how you and Kol love to raid those."

Glassy blue eyes looked dolefully at the vampire, "Won't Aunt Freya be mad?"

"Of course, I won't," Freya walked in and assured her niece, "You and Kol have fun and you keep anything you want that Lucien sent."

Hope looked at her mother. "Mummy, will you be okay?"

"She's going to be just fine, she just needs some time with her sisters," Rebekah reassured.

Hayley met her daughter's eye and often a small, comforting smile, "Go and have fun, baby girl."

Once Hope shut the door and the Mikaelson sisters settled on the floor with Hayley and Katherine, the latter continued to speak.

"You are not broken. You are the fucking Hybrid Queen, you will find your way back, just like you always have. Even if you're not the same as you were five years ago, you'll be a stronger, better you! And we're all here to help you – every single one of us. None of us, especially, not Hope and not to mention Klaus – who, by the way, will always want you – will ever leave you."

Hayley tried to take in Katherine's words, but other words other images kept surfacing to the forefront. "It won't stop!" she shouted frustrated, "It feels like I'm going crazy. What Davina did to my mind, it won't stop. I live it in my sleep and, even when I know what is real and what isn't or at least I think I know... I-" she cut herself off, ready yet fearful to recall the last five years of her captivity, but also out of sorts in general.

"Talk to us, tell us what happened, Hayley. It's been a month since you came home, and no one knows exactly what happened to you. Tell us, don't let any of it keep you, prisoner, anymore." Freya smiled gently at Hayley as did the other two women.

The hybrid tensed at their request, but she knew that they weren't going to judge her and she needed to get it all out.

"Aurora was behind it all, I mean obviously but... well the crazy ones are always undercover geniuses, right?" She tried to insert her usual sass, but it was more to delay divulging the dirty details than anything. "Tristan and therefore the Strix followed her, Cami got roped into it because she felt the way Aurora did, betrayed by Klaus because of me so she followed through to get her own sick revenge. Davina got on their side, but... I don't fully blame Davina with what happened – when she could she gave me blood, healed some of my wounds."

"She still hurt you, Hayley and the rest of us. She sided with our enemies instead of the family," Rebekah snarled.

The hybrid shook her head. "Her hatred for Klaus ran deeper than our friendship and unfortunately even her relationship with Kol. I hated her for what she did to me, but when she came and tried to help me, I couldn't completely see her as my enemy. The rest of them, I can't say the same. Aurora, Tristan, and Aya wanted Mikaelson secrets and the plans set against. I wouldn't tell them anything, so they would punish me for it." Hazel eyes grew blank and withdrawn. "I'd be hung on the walls and from the ceiling with rusted chains laced with vervain. Cami broke my bones and fed on my blood, afterward, Aya would drug me with wolfsbane. I don't think I ever slept, just blacked out from the loss of blood and the pain, so I couldn't heal properly. Aurora enjoyed giving me equal parts physical and mental torture: sharp objects, whips, ice baths, burns," she laughed humourlessly, "Actually everything Tristan had ever put Aurora through for her mental illnesses she did to me." Hayley then flinched and froze.

Freya tightened her hold on the female hybrid, "Go on."

Hayley trembled as she tried to get the words out. "T-Tristan, h-he... he would... mostly he would watch as the girls hurt me, but sometimes he'd brush my skin, touch my hair... slip his fingers between my legs-"

Everyone in the room froze in apprehension, Hayley bowed her head in shame and knotted her fingers nervously. Rebekah dared to gain confirmation of what they all dreaded, "Did he...?"

Furiously shaking her head, the hybrid answered, "No," still knotting her fingers, "He said I wasn't good enough for him or any other Strix member."

Her sisters scoffed angrily but didn't speak as they could sense Hayley had more to say. "Ahem, Davina would be ordered to use her powers on me. Aurora would taunt me with her words and Davina would embed these visions into my head – I would always see the same thing repeatedly and it just seemed so real. It was always so clear, Dahlia cursing me with Klaus standing there holding toddler Hope in his arms and then walking away with her to Caroline..." Hayley felt equally anguished and angry at that sight.

Freya couldn't help but question, "But why her and not Aurora or Camille?"

Hayley was too afraid of what the truth of that meant, but her other sister-in-law had no qualms voicing what she thought.

"She's the only one Nik hasn't killed or publicly rejected yet," Rebekah answered with an uncaring shrug and reached out and squeezed Hayley's hand. "But we all know my brother would never do such a thing to you. He loves you so much. He was miserable and a complete tyrant without you, but he had to hold everything together for Hope's sake. If it wasn't for Hope, he would've been his own worst enemy again. He barely slept for the first year since you were captured. He would lock himself in his art room or Hope's bedroom telling stories about you and looking at your photos. Then he'd hours with Elijah, Kol, the wolves, the vampires trying to find any leads to find you but it was always a dead end."

Katherine added, "But we should've looked harder!"

Although in the back of her mind, she agreed, she couldn't break their hearts even more by voicing that. "You couldn't have. Not only were they cloaked, they kept me in this dark underground/underwater chamber hidden in a cursed maze that magically changed locations every few weeks and the moves never left any magical signals."

"Which is why it took so long to find you," Freya gravely stated. "And we couldn't have done it without Hope."

Hayley smiled, although it was sad, "My daughter, my saviour... As amazing as she is, I doubt even she can heal me though."

Rebekah was quite grieved at those words. "Don't say that."

Growing angry, she couldn't help but bark, "And why not?! None of you kept me safe from them. And the only thing I could do while playing their prisoner was retreat into myself, the visions wouldn't let me alone in my own mind so I shut off and let my tormentors do whatever they wanted because I was already too weak to even think of fighting them. I had no hope of saving myself let alone Klaus or any of you coming for me because you were right Katherine, all of you didn't do more, you just went about living your own lives while I couldn't even hope for the release of death." The other women winced at that last bit. "And now, I have lost touch with all my hybrid abilities, but everything is coming back, I'm practically schizophrenic. I-" The throbbing in her head increased and her vision started getting blur, "It won't stop!" Hayley shouted in pain causing Klaus – who had been eavesdropping the entire time on the other side of the door – to enter the room to help soothe her.

Klaus held her loosely against his chest, "I'm here, Little Wolf." It was all he knew to do for her as she seized and cried out.

All eyes turned to the family witch.

Freya exhaled deeply. "I didn't want to try this until I was sure what was wrong with Hayley and that she would be okay afterward." She didn't get any responses, they were all eager to hear what she planned to do. "Hayley will be put into a magically induced sleep then we can go into her mind and help heal it and therefore her. Her mind will, at least, be whole again, she should be able to tap into her hybrid abilities, and hopefully, our Hayley will be back."

Klaus was uneasy at the thought of anyone invading Hayley's thoughts, even himself. "And who is this we that will be going into Hayley's mind?"

"We can debate over it when we get to that point," Freya conceded before leaving the room to get necessary ingredients for the spell, while Rebekah and Katherine were instructed to gather the rest of their household to inform them of what was going on.

Klaus placed Hayley on their bed then sat next to her. She had eventually lost consciousness from the mental attack but continued to twitch and mutter indiscernible words. He smoothed her hair and softly spoke to her. "I am so sorry, Little Wolf. You're right – I could've prevented everything that happened to you if I had been stronger, but we were always stronger together. When I find them, they will suffer for everything they have done to you." He paused. "You're my wife and I love you. These years without you was torture, not just because I lost you, but Hope had to grow up without her amazing mother again. But this will be the last time either of us will be away from our daughter. We'll spend the rest of eternity watching her become a woman who is the very best of both of us. And nothing and no one shall ever tear us apart again – we will be together… Always and forever." Klaus promised as he lovingly kissed her forehead.

Freya cleared her throat and after her brother nodded for her to do what she had to. The other Mikaelsons entered the room as the blonde witch spread the enchanted sleeping powder onto Hayley's body, putting her into a comatose state, stilling her form.

"Dad... will Mum be okay?" Hope asked quietly looking at her father with sad eyes. Klaus reached out to her, she flinched, while she civilly addressed him, Hope was still upset over the business with the letter.

The original hybrid could see this, so he opted for a simple smile toward his little girl. "Yes, she will be. And we're all going to make sure that she will always be safe and happy."

It was agreed that Klaus and Rebekah would be first to go into Hayley's mind in case there were things too dark for young Hope to see, but the little witch was on standby waiting for her turn to help her mother. Kol would supervise Freya with doing the spell to put their niece into her mother's mind while Elijah and Katherine would be both the bridge and barricade to the occurrences outside of the room.


End file.
